Family Bonds
by Danni Evans
Summary: Threats against an Ambassador send the Stetsons scrambling for answers. Can Lee and Amanda solve this puzzling case amidst Joe's anger, Francine's sarcasm, Agency gossip, and Dotty's inquisition? Can they manage to keep their secrets through all this?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions are the rightful owners of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, its characters, and its premise. The plot for this story and any original characters remain property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended; this work is written solely for the pleasure of the author and the readers, and no profit is being made.

Timeframe: May 1988. Marriage is still a secret to everyone.

* * *

"Amanda, how could you?" Lee fumed as he stormed through the door to the Q Bureau.

Amanda King looked up from the files on her desk. "Good morning to you too," she replied dryly.

Lee stopped directly across from her desk and folded his arms firmly across his chest, glaring at his partner. "You really need to learn to be more careful in the field, Amanda. You could have been killed."

"It was just a training exercise." Amanda rolled her eyes. "Beaman and seven other freshman candidates were all there as backup. We caught our guy, didn't we?"

"That's _not _the _point_!" he shouted. "Why can't you ever follow orders and stay back, out of the line of fire?"

Amanda stood angrily, taking a step towards Lee with every furious word she spoke. "What? 'Stay in the car, Amanda'? Do you really think that's going to solve anything? How am I supposed to be your backup when you never let me do my job? Would you prefer I just let you get killed?" They stood nearly nose-to-nose now, neither willing to back down.

"No, but I'm not about to let you get killed either!" Lee's voice was growing steadily louder and angrier, his index finger raised in accusation. "Don't you remember what happened in Las Palmas? Dammit, Amanda, I love you!"

A movement behind Lee had caught Amanda's attention, and her eyes widened. Sometime during his tirade, the door had been opened to reveal a very speculative Billy and an extremely shocked Francine.

Amanda looked up tenderly at her husband, clasping his outstretched hand in both of hers. "Later," she said softly before releasing him and rapidly slipping her professional demeanour back into place. She took a few steps around Lee to face the station chief. "Good morning, sir. Francine." She nodded coolly at the blonde agent, who still had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

Billy, on the other hand, was glancing between Amanda and Lee with a curious smile. "Hello, Lee, Amanda."

"What do you want, Billy?" Lee's mildly annoyed voice came from just beside Amanda.

She cleared her throat pointedly.

"Sorry," Lee continued, a little sheepishly. "What brings you to the Q Bureau?" he asked more politely.

Billy Melrose turned to shut the door and grinned at Francine's frozen face. "Francine? The file?"

The impeccably dressed woman visibly shook herself. "Right. The file." She took a moment to collect herself, giving strange glances to the other occupants of the room, before striding confidently to Lee's desk and placing the folder on it, flipping it open.

"We've received intel that the family of the Ambassador from Dalin is in danger," she began briskly. "Ibin Talhi and his wife, Chay, have been receiving threats for years from a rival noble family back home. The Ambassador's wife is heavily involved in philanthropic endeavours, and the hurricane in Africa last month caused a lot of damage to their country. They're holding an open house at the Embassy this week – she's hoping to gain some exposure for her cause, and raise some funds from rich and influential Americans."

"The Ambassador has requested an Agency team to go over the security plans for the week," Billy continued. "They're holding different events every day – a penny carnival for children out in the courtyard, a dinner party at a thousand dollars a plate, tours of the Embassy, performances of music and dancing from their country…it will be a logistical nightmare." Billy sighed wearily. "There are no specific threats against the event – but Talhi is nervous. With all the outside visitors, it will be impossible to screen them all – a perfect opportunity for someone to slip in unnoticed."

Lee frowned. "Why assign this to the Q Bureau, Billy? We're going to need a whole security team, not just me and Amanda."

Billy nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that." He gave a small smile. "You and Amanda will be coordinating all security for the week. You'll have Johnson's team to assist you – Johnson's on leave at the moment, so your leadership won't be questioned – and I'd like the freshmen to help out. You'll have plenty of manpower, and it's good experience for them."

"Excuse me, sir," Amanda interjected, brow furrowed. "Will I be working on this as Lee's partner, or with the rest of the freshmen?" Her exact position within the Agency had been unclear at best since she'd become partnered with Scarecrow, and even more so since she'd begun training to be a full field agent. She had too much experience to spend all her time with the rest of the freshman candidates – plus, she was needed in the field. Even Billy didn't want to waste her skills in a classroom five days a week, and Lee would have thrown a fit had the station chief suggested it. But she wasn't yet a full agent, either, and several people in the Agency – freshman and agent alike – were very vocal in protesting what they perceived as 'special treatment' for Scarecrow's protégée.

Billy sighed. He'd known this transition would be a difficult period in Amanda's career, but he had a feeling he'd no idea quite how much she struggled to prove herself. Billy had seen her remain professional under fire time and time again, even to the most hurtful of critics. He glanced at his blonde aide wryly. But he knew his own position as station chief discouraged such conduct in his presence – so anything that he had seen happen, he was sure was much worse in his absence.

"You'll be helping Scarecrow coordinate and plan the security detail," he replied firmly. "You have plenty of field experience in this area, and anyone who has an issue with your authority on this project can speak to me about it."

Amanda smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

"Thanks, Billy." Lee nodded, thankful their supervisor saw Amanda's skills as clearly as he did.

Maybe even more clearly, he mused as he thought back to their recent argument.

"Alright," Billy said with an air of dismissal. "I'll leave you to it. The open house starts Monday, so you've only got a few days to get everything tied down. You'll want to give the freshmen's assignments to Beaman before the weekend, so I'd like you to clear the plans with me after Friday's morning report."

Lee nodded. "Will do."

"Yes, sir," Amanda chimed.

When the door had shut behind the station chief and his administrator, both partners breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe…they didn't hear us," Lee said hopefully, referring to their earlier argument.

Amanda raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Right."

"Well, it's possible," he defended.

But Amanda only grinned, barely holding back her mirth. "Did you see the look on Francine's face?"

"Priceless." Lee's mischievous smile matched her own. "But you know she's not going to let that go – she's going to be on our case more than ever."

Amanda shrugged. "I can handle Francine."

"That's not the tune you were whistling last week."

She chuckled. "True. But I've been handling Francine and her barbs for four years now. It's old hat." A slight frown marred her features. "It's Beaman I'm worried about."

"Yeah, I know. Ever since you started candidacy training, he's been on your case. Mine, too, come to think of it." Lee sighed. "You'd think your performance yesterday would have changed his mind…but no. He stormed up to me the second I walked in, berating me for letting you get away with that kind of behaviour in the field. 'She'll never learn if you keep babying her,' he told me."

"Babying me?" Amanda asked indignantly.

"I'm starting to wonder if that man has ever even _been_ in the field. Has he ever worked with a partner, day in and day out, two people with each other's lives constantly in their hands? There's no substitute for that," Lee ranted. "The man wouldn't know a partnership if it danced naked in front of him."

Amanda gave her husband a soft smile, laying a hand on his tense shoulder. "I love you."

Lee started at the non sequitur.

"I really appreciate the faith you have in my abilities, Lee. It means a lot to me. More than I can say." She sighed. "But I'm going to have to deal with this little problem myself. If you and Mr. Melrose keep stepping in and defending me, I'm always going to be seen as some favourite pet. I'll never be respected as an agent in my own right."

Lee frowned, contemplating the wisdom of her words. "You have a point there."

"Even you," she said suddenly. "Even you still see me as the naïve civilian housewife. I appreciate your desire to keep me safe, but…even the great and mighty Scarecrow needs backup every now and again."

Lee scrubbed his face with his hand. "Look, Amanda, I'm sorry about earlier. It just…scares me when you have such a close call…" He sighed, taking her hands in his and looking intently into her eyes. "I can't lose you."

She smiled, and kissed him softly. "But here's the thing, Stetson – I can't lose you, either. How many times would you have died if I'd just stayed in the car?"

"But, Amanda – "

"No," she interrupted. "And another thing – how many times have I gotten into trouble that had _nothing_ to do with the Agency, or you? How many times has my connection with the Agency saved me from those situations?" She shook her head. "When I was shot in Las Palmas, I _was _in the car. When Addi Birol kidnapped me, I _was_ in the car. Even without this job, I still would've been targeted by that human trafficking ring…I would've been sold, and my family never would have seen me again."

Amanda was slowly growing hysterical. "When Joe came back – my children! We might not have gotten to them in time. And…Dr. Zernoff's defection…Mother had just read some crazy romance novel about a handsome Russian defector and some beautiful civilian. She would have gone over there just the same, whether I knew about him or not. And…Lee…" Amanda was nearly in tears now. "Without my experience in the Agency, I might not have had the guts to follow her…and I certainly wouldn't have had the resources to call in backup." A dry sob shook her shoulders. "Mother would have died."

Gently, Lee wrapped his arms around his wife. "Hey…ssshhh. It's alright. I'm right here – I will _always_ come and find you," he murmured tenderly in her ear. "You're right – you're always right. You and me – we're a team. Always will be. And now…now there are two of us around to keep our family safe."

As her tears subsided, Amanda reveled in the warmth of Lee's embrace. She didn't think she would ever tire of the safety and love she felt in his arms. "Thank you," she whispered into his chest.

He only held her tighter.

* * *

"So…tell me again why it is Amanda has your car?"

Lee sighed. "Francine…the answer hasn't changed in the last half hour. Hers is in the shop, and she wanted to get to the Embassy early to speak to the Ambassador's wife. After all, she has done a lot of charity events – maybe she has some ideas. Besides, I had to give Beaman the duty roster for the freshman candidates. I did _not_ want her around for that."

Behind the wheel of her own car, Francine frowned. She glanced over at her passenger. "Why not? Is he giving her the same kind of trouble he gives me at every office Christmas party since the dawn of time?" She laughed. "I bet you hate that someone else is giving her attention."

"Eyes on the road, Francine." Lee rolled his eyes. "I wish it was only that. You remember when Amanda first came on?"

"How could I forget?" the blonde asked sarcastically. "It was the first time I'd been drugged for information, though certainly not the last."

"Well…you remember how you felt about Amanda? How…we _all_ felt about Amanda?"

Francine looked over at her old friend. "Lee…that was years ago. There's no sense feeling guilty about it. Besides, she's come a long way. I guess Billy was right – she's making a pretty good agent after all."

Lee raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Of course, if you repeat this to anyone, I'll deny it."

He chuckled. Typical Francine.

Suddenly, she frowned. "Beaman…is he giving her that much trouble? I mean, I know this business can be rough for a woman to find a place…"

"I wish it were just that she's a woman," Lee fumed. "But Beaman doesn't have a problem with women. Just with Amanda." His jaw clenched. "She's got more field experience than he does, for God's sake! And still, he keeps on about Billy's and my favouritism towards her, telling her she has no right to have anything to do with the Agency…And every time she and I are on a project, he undermines her authority. I mean, she's my partner! Doesn't she deserve to be treated as such?"

Francine frowned in thought as she pulled into the Embassy parking lot. "Maybe…it's time you two worked apart."

"What!" Lee nearly leapt out of his seat.

"Calm down, Scarecrow." She rolled her eyes. "Just for a little while, for a few assignments here and there. So she can prove herself. Prove you're not just carrying her."

"Carrying her? I'm not carrying her! Amanda is the best partner I've ever worked with. We're a _team._ No _carrying_ involved."

Francine sighed. "Believe it or not, Lee, I know. I've worked with her a time or two…and yeah, she's a little under-trained, and a little unpredictable…but she's good." She raised a warning finger. "But if you repeat this…"

"Yeah, yeah," Lee chuckled softly. "You need to keep up your fearsome reputation, Desmond."

Francine turned off the ignition, but didn't remove her keys. She turned to face Lee, a shrewd expression on her face. "Speaking of fearsome reputations, Scarecrow…"

Lee's face became carefully blank. "What about them, Desmond?"

"What exactly did Billy and I walk into yesterday?"

He groaned. "Just a little argument, Francine. Nothing to worry about."

"Really." She raised an eyebrow coolly.

"Yes, _really._" He didn't know how much she'd heard – his back had been to the door – but he wasn't about to volunteer any incriminating information.

"So that last little bit…just a typical argument with your _partner,_ at _work._" Her tone was deceptively even.

"Franciiiine…"

"Yes?"

"Drop it. Now."

"No."

"What?"

"No, Lee, I'm not going to drop it. What has gotten into you? I've never seen you like this before. You're – you're – I don't know. You're different. I'm worried about you."

A soft smile made its way across Lee's features. "Don't be. Yeah, I'm different. I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm a better agent, a better friend…a better man."

Francine gave him an appraising look. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were going soft."

Lee laughed. "Soft? Me? Never."

"Did you mean it?" she asked, uncharacteristically serious.

"Mean what?"

She sighed. Was he really going to make her say it? "Do you love her?"

He couldn't stop the smile. "Yeah. I do." He paused a moment longer, as if he had something more he wanted to say, but then he reached for the door handle and exited the car. "Thanks for the ride, Francine. I'll see you inside." He winked at her and left.

The blonde sat in the car for several minutes, shaking her head. Scarecrow, in love? Yeah, she'd known about Dorothy – she'd been a friend to Lee, and a crush. They'd been close, sure, but they hadn't known each other long before the…incident.

And then there was Eva. Francine had seen what Lee was like when the woman had miraculously reappeared – and he'd certainly seemed obsessed enough.

But she'd never seen him so…_happy._ Lee was right, she mused. Amanda made him better than he'd been without her. He made smarter choices in the field – he wasn't overly cautious, but he was much smarter about the risks he took. He actually smiled on a regular basis now…and Francine had never seen him act so courteously before. He was kind even to the lowliest messengers and clerks in the Agency – and she hadn't seen him flirt with the steno pool in years.

Had he really changed so much? Or was he the same man she'd always known? She remembered the teasing wink he'd shot her as he left the car. Same old Scarecrow, she thought, pulling her keys from the ignition and leaving the car.

But across the lawn, Francine saw Lee approach Amanda and the tall African woman she was with. She saw Lee's face light up when he greeted Amanda, and his sudden professional look when she introduced him to the woman Francine assumed to be the Ambassador's wife. Suddenly, she remembered the ease and speed with which Amanda had pulled on her mask that morning when she and Lee were interrupted. What secrets had they been keeping, and for how long?

Francine suddenly had a new appreciation for the housewife from Arlington. Amanda was obviously skilled in keeping secrets from her family, who were far from trained operatives. But somehow, she had easily fooled the entire Agency into thinking her partnership with Lee was purely platonic. Sure, the gossip mill ran rampant about the pair every few months, but there was nothing more than speculation. Even Francine, who had been close friends with Lee for nearly ten years now, had been fooled.

The blonde shook her head. _Some agent I am,_ she scolded herself. She'd have to keep her eyes open a little better where those two were concerned.

* * *

How does Billy react to this new revelation? What does Francine think? Better yet, what is she going to do about it?

I'd love to know what you think - please review! If wine is the nectar of the gods...then reviews are the nectar of my muse!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so very very much to everyone who reviewed! It really does make me want to keep writing. Here's the next installment!

Warning: non-explicit sexual situations. If you don't like it, scroll down about 15 paragraphs.

* * *

Amanda sighed and sank back into the couch in Lee's living room. "Another typical Friday night with the Stetsons: work, work, work." She tossed the folder she'd been studying on top of the stack of papers on the coffee table. "We really need a vacation."

"Yeah." Lee ran a hand through his sandy hair. "We work together all day – sometimes all night – and we still don't see each other enough."

Amanda scooted closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "What do you say we call it a night, huh?" She planted a kiss on his temple. "I told Mother I'd be in the editing room all night…"

A grin began to grow on Lee's face. "You did, did you? What on earth might have possessed you to do such a thing?"

She gave a throaty chuckle. "Hmmm…maybe the prospect of spending an evening with my husband? Alone…uninterrupted…" She punctuated her words with kisses to his face. "…No work…no family…just you…and me."

Lee turned and captured her lips with his, pulling her gently onto his lap to get closer. She reveled in their closeness, still sometimes barely able to believe that she was lucky enough to have this man in her life. When they'd first started seeing each other, it had been a bit unnerving to have the infamous Scarecrow focusing every bit of his attention and charm on her. Now, it was simply intoxicating. Her head spun at the caress of his mouth, her skin tingling with every brush of his fingers along her back. Even after a year of marriage, the barest of touches could send her reeling.

She felt Lee's lips lift from hers and make their way along her jaw to the sensitive spot just below her left ear. Amanda gasped as a wave of tingles flooded her body at her husband's ministrations. "Lee…" she whispered raggedly.

He smiled against her soft skin. "What do you say we take this to the bedroom?" he murmured in her ear.

"Mmm…"

Lee lifted them off the couch and set Amanda on unsteady feet. His eyes bored into hers. "I think I like your idea, Mrs. Stetson."

Amanda was still distracted by the gentle caresses along her back and arms as Lee slowly moved forward, backing her toward the other room. "What idea?"

"An uninterrupted evening…with my wife…" The desire in his eyes sent a shudder down her back.

"Well, Mr. Stetson," Amanda replied coyly, still backing away, "let's see what we can do to make that happen." She turned away abruptly, tossing him a saucy wink over her shoulder before striding into the bedroom. Quickly, she unplugged the phone on the bedside table before reaching out to take Lee's hand. "Come here, husband."

She pulled him to her and set to work on his shirt buttons, undoing each one slowly as she kissed her way down his chest. She could feel Lee's breath catch under her touch, and his hands tugged at the bottom of her shirt.

Soon, their passion overtook their teasing and they lay gasping among the soft bedsheets. It had seemed so long since they had last had the chance to enjoy each other this way, Amanda thought dazedly as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"I've missed you," Lee said sleepily as he wrapped his arms around his sated lover.

"Mmm…me too." Amanda snuggled closer into his embrace. "This is the best I've felt in weeks."

Peeping rays of sunlight woke Amanda early the next morning. She rolled over and yawned lazily, gazing at the peaceful face next to hers. She smiled tenderly. It was so nice to be able to see Lee relaxed – it happened so rarely when they were awake. She loved to watch him sleep.

As if sensing her awareness, Lee reached for her in his sleep. Happily, she let him pull her close, and she succumbed to sleep once more.

A faint electronic noise roused Lee around nine o'clock. His eyes drifted open, wondering at the noise. If it were the phone, it would be louder, he thought sleepily, before remembering that Amanda had unplugged the set on the bedside table before they'd come to bed last night. Groaning, he released his wife with a quick kiss to her hair.

Amanda roused enough to hear Lee's phone conversation.

"Stetson."

"Yes, it's all arranged."

"What? You're kidding."

He sighed. "Alright. I'll collect Amanda and we'll head over right away."

Amanda gave him a questioning look as he re-entered the bedroom. Lee made a face. "Apparently there's been an intruder at the Embassy. Billy wants us down there right away."

Amanda sighed. "No rest for the wicked – or those of us who chase them."

Lee lay back down on the bed, watching his wife intently. "One of these days, Amanda. I promise."

"I know." She reached over and idly trailed a hand down his arm. "I just wish, sometimes, that we could be normal."

"Yeah. Me too."

She sighed again. "But then I realize how much we do…and I'm not willing to give that up either." Slowly, she twined their fingers together.

Lee lifted their linked hands and gently kissed her knuckles. "Amanda Stetson, you are the most wonderful woman I have ever known. I love you."

"I love you too, Lee Stetson." Amanda smiled. "Now, duty calls. I guess we should…get going?"

There were few things Lee enjoyed more than constantly bumping into Amanda while they both tried to get ready for the day. It was such a rare occurrence that she was the first thing he saw when he woke up; he intended to make the most of it today.

"Lee!" Amanda scolded gently as his lips assaulted her neck. "I'm trying to make my hair presentable! If we're going to the Embassy…"

He grinned. "Can't I enjoy having my wife around for the morning?"

"I love you too." She turned to plant a kiss on his lips before returning her attention to the mirror, a soft smile on her face. It always delighted her when her husband couldn't seem to keep his hands off her.

Lee looked fondly at his wife before returning to the bedroom to get dressed. He could barely believe his luck sometimes. Amanda was the best thing that had ever happened to him – and, by some miracle, she'd agreed to marry him. She was the best agent he'd ever worked with – she was clever, intuitive, and courageous. Sometimes it seemed they read each other's minds. And she was sweet and caring, always ready to be there for a friend. Even if that friend happened to be someone like Francine.

Amanda was full of surprises, too – in the field and out of it. Lee had been pleasantly surprised to discover how 'exotic and mysterious' she could truly be when she felt secure. She could be quite the tease when she wanted to be…

He grinned wolfishly. And the sex…well, suffice it to say, not one of the women in Scarecrow's four little black books could hold a candle to what he and Amanda had.

"Lee?" Amanda was waving a hand in front of his face. "You in there?"

He blinked and returned to the present. "Uh, yeah. You ready to go?"

"Yeah… Come on, Scarecrow. Back to work."

* * *

"Mr. Ambassador?" Lee held out his hand to the tall African man. "I'm Lee Stetson; this is my partner, Amanda King."

Ibin Talhi nodded. "Yes, my wife introduced us yesterday." His accent was thick, but not unintelligible. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stetson. Your partner has informed me that you both are in charge of our security for our open house events this week?"

"Uh, yes, that's right, Mr. Talhi," Amanda put in. "We have plans in place for complete coverage of the grounds and your family for the duration of the event, in addition to security checks on all non-Embassy personnel who will be assisting." She gave the Ambassador a friendly smile. "We're doing everything we can to keep you and your family safe."

A shadow crossed Talhi's face. "Yes…well, we had not expected the danger to come upon us so quickly," he said grimly.

"Yeah, that's why we're here today," Lee put in. "You told our people you saw an intruder on the premises last night?"

The man nodded. "Yes; I was sitting in my study, going over correspondence from our prime minister. I looked out the window, and there he was – all in black, creeping across the courtyard."

"Can you show us?" Amanda asked.

They followed the Ambassador across the lawn into a wide, grassy area enclosed by hedges and adorned with flowerbeds and ornate wooden benches. Spotting something on the ground, Amanda put a hand on Lee's chest to halt his progress.

"Wait – look." She pointed to the crumpled grass. "Footprints. Big ones, too."

Lee bent to inspect the depressions. "They look like combat boots. Standard military issue." At her questioning look, he grinned. "You don't want to know how many times I had to polish the Colonel's boots before Sunday chapel services."

"Ah." Amanda smiled. "How is the Colonel these days?"

Lee grimaced. "Same as always, with one addition."

"Oh? What might that be?" She reached into her purse and pulled out a miniature tape measure.

Lee's brow creased. "Why do you have that in your purse?"

Amanda shrugged, handing it down to him. "I don't remember – I had it in there for something, and I guess I just never took it out." She gestured to the footprint. "If you measure that, maybe we can find a shoe size."

He grinned up at her. "Good plan." He set to work.

"You were saying something about the Colonel?"

Lee groaned. "Well, you know how he's always on my case about something or another. Last year it was my job, the year before it was my apartment…"

"Well…" Amanda raised an eyebrow. "What is it this year?"

He paused. There was no point beating around the bush, he supposed. "He's wondering why I'm not married yet." They exchanged a significant look, their expressions a mixture of amusement and mortification. "He also asks about you. Frequently," he continued wryly, before returning his attention to the footprint. "Thirteen and a half inches. Should be easy enough to determine what boot size that is."

Talhi was watching them with a frown on his face. "Does this mean that someone in the American military is part of the threat to our safety?"

Lee shook his head. "Not necessarily. Military surplus is often sold openly; almost anyone could get their hands on an old pair of boots." He stood. "I don't think there's anything else we can learn here. We've arranged for extra security starting immediately, Mr. Talhi. We're not taking any chances."

The African nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Stetson, Mrs. King. My wife will sleep much better with that knowledge."

They bid the Ambassador goodbye and returned to Lee's car. "Where to now?" Amanda asked.

Lee pulled out of the parking lot. "Well…we have to pick up your car. And your mother will probably want to grill you about where you were last night," he said wryly. "How about I drop you off at the garage, and then I'll head back to the Agency to measure some boots down in Disguises? You can meet me there this afternoon."

Amanda nodded. "Sounds good." She paused. "Does your uncle really ask about me?"

Lee groaned. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope." She grinned. "After all, you were the one who told him I was your girlfriend. And that was years ago. Even before…well, before we started seeing each other."

"True."

Amanda paused. "Do you think we should tell him? I mean, I'm sure he understands the necessity for our secrecy – and, being in the military, he knows how to keep a secret. Though, I think my mother would kill me for telling someone else before she knew…"

"We've had this conversation before, Amanda," Lee replied sadly. "And we always come to the same conclusion."

She sighed. "I know, I know. We have to keep our family safe, we have to keep it secret so we can still work together. But…I've been with the Agency long enough to make enemies of my own. My family is in just as much danger from my job as from yours."

"Yeah. But there's still that little problem of us working together…"

They'd been over this a thousand times before. They could wait until one or both of them decided to stop working in the field; they could reveal their marriage and hope their track record would allow them to remain partners; or, they might end up being assigned new partners. Neither of them was willing to give up their partnership – so, they remained at a standstill.

* * *

"Mother! Have you seen my black sneakers?" Amanda shouted down the stairs.

Dotty frowned. "No, I haven't...last time I saw them, you were wearing them out the door with some ridiculous getup I'd expect to see on a cat burglar."

Amanda grimaced. Trust her mother to hit the nail on the head. She and Lee were supposed to be staking out the Embassy grounds tonight, and their 'getup' would certainly help them blend into the background, regardless of their looking like cat burglars.

She hurried down the stairs to check the hall closet for her shoes. Lee was coming to pick her up in half an hour, and she still had to put away the laundry. "Are you going out tonight, dear?" her mother's voice pierced her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, well, you know, we're doing night filming this evening. I have to make sure my clothes aren't going to reflect the light anywhere it shouldn't be." Much as she hated lying to her mother, she sure was getting good at it.

"Uh-huh." Dotty pursed her lips skeptically. "Amanda, look. I don't mean to pry, Heaven knows I don't pry. But if you want to spend the night with Lee, all you have to do is say so."

Amanda stifled a snort. "I know, Mother, but we really are working tonight. I wish I could just go off and spend time with Lee, but work is murder right now." _If only Mother knew how close to the truth that was,_ she thought in frustration.

"Alright, dear, if you say so." Dotty shrugged. "Now, Joe is coming to pick up the boys at seven, and Captain Kurt will be here any minute to pick me up. Don't worry if I'm home late – well, I guess you won't be here, but I'll be out late – anyway, you have a good night and you'd better get some sleep. Come to think of it, you weren't home at all last night – did you have a nap today?"

"Aha!" Amanda spied her shoes hiding in the far corner of the closet. "No, I didn't have a nap today, but I got a few hours' sleep on the couch at the office. I'm a little tired, but I plan on sleeping late tomorrow."

Dotty furrowed her brow. "Okay then." A knock sounded on the door. "I'll get it!"

A moment later, her mother's voice called through the house. "Okay, Amanda, I'm leaving!"

"Goodbye, Mother!"

Several minutes later, Amanda had barely finished getting dressed in her 'cat burglar getup' – _Thank you, Mother_ – when the doorbell rang. Rushing through the house, Amanda had just barely made it to the door when the chime sounded again. "Oh!" she cried in frustration, flinging open the door.

"Hello, Joe."

Her ex-husband's face lit up. "Amanda! Hi. I wasn't really expecting to see you. You never seem to be around."

She smiled uncomfortably. "Oh, I'm around plenty, I guess we just miss each other." She stepped back. "Why don't you come in? I'll see if the boys are ready. BOYS!"

A faint cry echoed down the stairs. "Coming!"

Joe looked curiously at Amanda's attire. "Hot date tonight?"

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

He frowned. "It's Saturday night, and you're dressed like you're about to knock off an art gallery or a jewelry store."

"Have you and Mother been talking?" Amanda muttered under her breath.

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Amanda sighed.

Joe crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "How long are you planning on keeping this up?"

"Keeping what up?"

He gestured to her clothing. "This…fantasy of yours."

Amanda raised her eyebrows, though her face showed a deadly calm. If Joe had known her better, he would have taken that for the warning sign it was, but instead he blustered on.

"I mean, you're a housewife. What makes you think you're cut out for this kind of work? Sooner or later, the bloom is gonna go off the rose and Stetson's going to figure it out. The last thing a man like him needs is a tagalong."

Amanda didn't even know where to start. In one fell swoop, Joe had managed to insult her abilities, her job, her husband, and her sense of reality. She merely stood, lips parted in shock.

He thought her silence meant she was carefully considering his words. Ever the lawyer, Joe swooped in for closing arguments. "I don't know what he was thinking, dragging you into this business, but it isn't safe. Not for you, not for the boys. Not to mention…I've heard what kind of man he is."

"What kind of – "Amanda took a deep breath to calm herself before shouting up the stairs. "Fellas, your dad and I are going for a little walk. When we get back, you'd better be ready to go!" She turned back to Joe and took him forcefully by the arm. "Let's go."

"What?" he asked defensively as they exited the house.

By the time they were far enough away to avoid the boys' curious ears, Amanda was furious. "First, you gave up your right to have an opinion on my life choices a long time ago. As I recall, you went gallivanting off to some third-world country, and your sons saw you _maybe_ twice a year. I'd say this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Second, Lee did not 'get me into this business.' In fact, he did everything he could to discourage me. He didn't even _like_ me – and, I'll admit, I didn't much care for him either. It was a chance encounter that led to me finally finding where I belong in the world."

"Where you belong? Amanda, you're a mother. Where you belong is with our boys."

Amanda fumed. "I don't believe this. Are you telling me a woman's place is in the kitchen? Serving her family like some kind of slave?" She shook her head angrily. "Never mind. This is neither the time nor the place to rehash the last twenty years of women's liberation. Listen, Joe, Phillip and Jamie are old enough to be unsupervised. In fact, they don't _want _to be supervised. But they know I'm there if they ever need me. Which, I might add, is more than I can say for you."

Joe laid a hand on her arm. "Amanda, please, be reasonable. Listen to what I'm saying."

Amanda slapped his hand away. "I think I've done enough listening. It's your turn, Joseph King." She stared him down. "If it wasn't for my job, do you know what would have happened to our boys when you came back from Estoccia? They probably would have died at the hands of that greedy pig who was after you."

"Amanda, what are you talking about? The Agency found out about the assassination and that I was in the country. They investigated, they talked to you, you led them to me."

"No, Joe, that's not what happened. Lee asked for that assignment because he knows you're my ex-husband. The only reason he actually listened to what I had to say is that he already knew me, already trusted my instincts. No one else would have been able to figure out that the boys were in danger. And do you know what he told me?"

"What?" Joe's face was stony.

Amanda looked up at him calmly. "He promised me he would never let anything happen to my family. I've been with the Agency for nearly five years now. And to this day, that episode in the gym was the one and only time my sons have been in danger."

"Five years…" She could see Joe's jaw clenching. "Fine," he said tightly. "But that's only half the issue."

"The only issue here, Joe King, is the mountain you're making out of this molehill!"

He held out a warning finger. "I've heard stories about that man, Amanda! He's a playboy. A real love 'em and leave 'em type. I've even heard he's having an affair with his partner! And she's _married._"

Amanda rolled her eyes in exasperation. "She's _divorced,_" she said loudly, pointing at herself, hoping to remind him of her status at the Agency. "And my love life, such as it is, is no business of yours."

"I'm not going to stand by and let him hurt you, Amanda!"

"I don't _believe_ you, Joe King. Lee Stetson is the best man I have ever known. He's the last person in the world who's going to hurt me. And what do you think you can tell me that I haven't already heard from more reliable sources? Trust me, there is nothing you can tell me about him that I don't already know." She gave him a saccharine smile. "My security clearance is higher than yours, remember?"

Joe glared. "You are insufferable. I don't know why I ever married you."

"Well, same goes for me." Joe's declaration stung keenly, but recently developed skills allowed Amanda to mask the emotion. "The boys are waiting for you, and I have an assassination to prevent." And with that, she strode furiously back to the house.

"Boys, time to go," she called as she entered the house. Not bothering to wait for a response, she slipped out the back door, hoping to avoid Joe for the rest of the evening.

It was there that Lee found her some time later. He could see the faint tracks of dried tears down her cheeks, and her eyes were a little red, but her face was blank.

"Amanda? Amanda, what's wrong?" he asked urgently. "Did something happen to the boys? Your mother?"

She gave a sad laugh and shook her head. Her voice was more raspy than usual when she finally spoke. "No…nothing that drastic. It's silly, really," she said dismissively, hoping Lee would drop it.

She should have known better. Soon, she was telling her husband the whole story, held tightly in his comforting arms.

After she'd been silent a few minutes, Lee placed a finger under her chin and turned her face to his. "Amanda?"

"Yeah?" she sniffled.

"Joe's an idiot."

"I know."

He smiled softly at his wife. "I don't know why he married you…but I know why _I _married you."

"Yeah?" Amanda smiled through her tears. "Why's that?"

"Because…you're my best friend. You're the one person I can tell my secrets to, and I know you won't judge me. You're brave, and beautiful, and smart…" He gave her a little grin. "You're the best partner I've had. And just having you in the same room makes me happy. Having you in my arms…even better."

She laughed softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "Marriage is turning you into a sap, Scarecrow. I think I like it."

Lee chuckled. "I think I do too."

* * *

Is Joe going to cause more problems? Has Lee really turned into a sap? Who was sneaking around on Embassy grounds - and why? What sinister plot is in the works this time?

Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Reading your feedback definitely brightened up my grumpy day. I'm so glad you're all enjoying the story. As for Joe King (for those of you who mentioned him!), I don't want to make him too much of a jerk - Amanda did marry him, after all, and it would reflect poorly on her if she'd married someone truly cruel. But something had to be wrong in her marriage for her to refuse to go to Estoccia with him; I choose to believe that he simply didn't treat her with the regard she deserves. I don't want to make him a horrible person, but I want to show that he's absolutely the wrong man for her. I hope I'm walking that line well...

I'm actually working on a short series of scenes regarding Joe's return to D.C. and his reactions to Amanda, and hers to him, to try and explain to myself what went wrong between them. I may post it for interest's sake...but it isn't very good.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. Thanks for reading, everyone!

* * *

It was mid-Monday morning when Lee and Amanda entered the bullpen to brief Billy on the weekend's happenings. They had a boot size for the footprints, but nothing had turned up the night they'd spent on the Embassy grounds. They'd gone to the Embassy first thing Monday to coordinate the security teams, and hadn't been able to get away until well after ten-thirty. They walked through the bullpen and entered Billy's office shortly before eleven, shutting the door behind them.

Whispers trailed them through the office. Few of the agents and other staff had failed to notice Scarecrow's custom of placing his hand on the small of Amanda's back; today had been no exception. About two years ago, for those who had been with the Agency long enough to notice, they had started reaching for each other's hands with increasing frequency.

Then, abruptly, it had stopped. The sudden lack of physical contact had been accompanied by Francine Desmond's substantiation of the rumour that Scarecrow and Mrs. King had indeed been seeing each other, and had recently broken up. To the gossips' surprise, however, it had not been the typical Scarecrow brush-off; instead, Mrs. King had ended the affair.

Or so the story went.

Since that time, Lee Stetson had been conspicuously absent from his usual trolling of the steno pool and any fresh female blood that entered the Agency, which was odd in itself. New clerks and typists who had heard of Scarecrow's impressive reputation had been vastly disappointed to find him entirely uninterested in any of them. There had been occasional speculation in the rumour mill, but no confirmation of any renewed relationship between the partners. Until today.

Barbara Lamont, a relatively new typist, was sitting with Agent Fielder in the bullpen, assisting him with several dossier compilations. When she noticed the legendary Scarecrow out in the hall, accompanied by his pretty but rather plain-looking partner, she couldn't help but watch. She'd had her eye on the man since she'd arrived at the Agency, and was sure that she could succeed where others had failed. She _would_ get Stetson's attention, and laugh in the face of the rest of the steno pool when she did.

She saw the partners pause a few yards back from the door into the bullpen. The clear glass walls gave her an easy sightline to their interaction. Stetson stood close to his partner – very close, Barbara noticed – invading her space, speaking softly into her ear. The pair shared what could only be described as an intimate smile, before the woman gave a surprisingly saucy wink and turned to the bullpen doors.

Barbara could see Stetson's hand find its way to the small of Amanda's back as they crossed the bullpen, not moving even as he knocked on the Section Chief's door. As soon as said door was shut behind them, Barbara turned to the agent next to her.

"Fred?" she asked coyly. "Who were those people?"

"Hmm? Oh – Lee and Amanda. Probably the best team in the Agency." He grimaced; Barbara suspected he resented their success.

"Team? I'm surprised they're allowed to work together," she said casually.

Fielder looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Barbara feigned surprise. "Well, they're obviously seeing each other! Probably sleeping together," she continued speculatively, still wondering what supposed playboy Lee Stetson saw in the slightly frumpy housewife.

Fielder shook his head. "That's what we all thought a couple years ago. But they broke up – I heard it from a reliable source. She dumped him."

"She did?" This time Barbara really was surprised. Stetson was supposed to be the one to do the dumping, not the other way around. Trying to recover, she shook her head. "I think they're back at it, then. They're all over each other. Touching. Constantly."

Fielder merely shrugged. "Eh, they've always been like that. Can we maybe get back to – "

"Oh, look, there they come!" she interrupted. "Watch…"

Sure enough, Lee was reaching for Amanda's hand as they exited the office, using the connection to usher her out the door. The connection held just a moment too long before releasing, and Lee's hand found its way back to its favourite spot on Amanda's back.

"See?" Barbara sneered. "I bet you it doesn't last more than a month."

Fielder shook his head. "If they really are seeing each other, they've been playing it extremely close to the vest. If it's true, I say it'll last at least few months."

Barbara smiled craftily. "Care to place a small wager on that?"

* * *

Lee locked the door behind him. The Q Bureau had quickly become a haven for him and his partner; a place they could work comfortably together, somewhere they could shut out the rest of the world – at least for a little while. It was one of the few things they had that was _theirs._ When Lee had first been given the Q, he'd already been admitting that Amanda was his partner, and she'd been a part of everything he'd done in the Bureau even before she was officially assigned.

Lee smiled down at his partner and wife. "Hi," he said tenderly.

"Hi, yourself." Amanda placed a hand in the center of his chest, playing with one of the buttons on his shirt.

Lee tried, but he couldn't bite back the low moan that threatened to escape his throat at her touch. Friday night had been much too long ago, and Amanda's fingers were a match to dry kindling.

A sultry smile graced Amanda's lips at the sound. "Miss me?" she asked huskily.

"You don't know the half of it," he growled, gathering her into his arms and sliding his hands gently up and down her back.

"Mmm." Her free hand found its way to the back of his neck and tilted his head down. When their lips touched, memories of their last night together as husband and wife flitted through his thoughts. Images of his fingers across her skin, her hair falling softly across her face, her gentle touch burning his chest. The wicked gleam in her eye when she teased him, the playful cock of her head…the exquisite expression of rapture on her face for a moment seemingly frozen in time.

Never before had Scarecrow imagined that his desires might be thoroughly sated time and again by the same woman – but Amanda had a way of consuming his thoughts, exciting his body. And rather than dampening their passion, their commitment to each other only served to fan the flames. God, but he _wanted_ her – all the time, it seemed.

And if the flush on her cheeks from a few kisses was any indication, Amanda was in the same boat.

* * *

Thanks to Barbara Lamont, the gossip mill was once again in full swing. 'I wonder how long _that'll_ last,' one woman said sarcastically. 'Yeah – Scarecrow might enjoy his little foray into suburban boredom for a little while, but he'll be back,' another replied. 'He's not the kind of man that could ever be happy with just one woman.' 'Poor Amanda, she seems so nice. She'll be heartbroken.' 'Poor Amanda? More like foolish. To think she could actually make Lee Stetson happy!'

It wasn't long before Amanda came upon one such conversation. She was in the washroom when several giggling women entered, not noticing the occupied stall. "It won't be long now before he tires of her," one tittered.

"Yeah – who does she think she is, taking him off the market like that?"

Amanda was about to storm out and give them a piece of her mind – chide them for wasting time at work, for insulting a couple they likely knew nothing about – when she heard her name.

"That Amanda King is such a stuck-up cow!"

Amanda nearly gasped. She'd been called many things in her life, but _never_ stuck-up. Even with all the fault Francine had managed to find with her in her first few years with the Agency, stuck-up had never been mentioned. Amanda always made an effort to be kind, even to strangers, and though she'd lately been very caught up in her assignments, she was always congenial with even the steno pool and the messengers. Quietly, she fumed, hoping the women would soon leave.

But it was not to be.

"Who does she think she is, cornering Lee like that?" the same woman continued. "Everyone knows he should belong to _all_ of us. That kind of man needs to be shared – his skills are wasted otherwise."

Knowing giggles sounded at the mention of Lee's 'skills.' Amanda knew better than to think the woman was referring to the man's excellence in the field. At least, not the kind of field where he was chasing KGB agents. No, not _that_ field.

"I've heard he's _really_ good in bed," sounded a new voice. Amanda cringed. This was beyond embarrassing. "Is that true, Shari?"

"You don't know the half of it. Why, one time…"

Amanda plugged her ears. She did _not _need to hear other women discussing her husband's prowess in the bedroom. No matter how noteworthy it was.

Unfortunately, plugging her ears did not block out the women's echoing voices. Fortunately, Amanda heard the bathroom door open and someone walk in.

"Oh! Francine!" one woman cooed. "You know Lee awfully well. We were just discussing – "

"Don't." Francine's voice was surprisingly cold.

"Oh, come on, it's all in good fun."

"Drop it," Francine replied frostily. "The last thing he and Amanda need is you running around spreading rumours. If you want to gossip, you go right ahead and do it – on your own time, and not in this building. I don't know what _they_ do in their spare time, but when they're here, they are here to work. This is a place of business, and _some_ of us have far more important things to do, like saving the world." Her tone was blunt with just an edge of sarcasm.

Amanda couldn't help a slight grin. Who would've thought she'd have Francine backing her and Lee up? She had to admit, though, she was a little surprised at the woman's defense. Sure, she knew Francine and Lee were as close of friends as one got in this business – but Amanda had been included in the woman's diatribe. She wondered if the argument Francine had overheard might have something to do with the woman's sudden protectiveness.

Not for the first time, Amanda wondered what Francine must have thought when she and Billy had walked through that door last week. She'd been visibly shocked at Lee's half-furious declaration of love; had she thought it was the first time he had spoken those words to Amanda? Or did she suspect they'd been hiding something all along? Something more serious than the Scarecrow Francine had known would have been capable of?

Suddenly, Amanda felt a little uncomfortable with all the secrecy surrounding her relationship with Lee. It was one thing to refrain from declaring it to their superiors; it was another entirely to purposely mislead their friends. Amanda felt a little shame for the little trick she had pulled on Francine last year, taking advantage of the woman's 'warning' of Scarecrow's untamable ways and implying that she'd broken it off. Maybe…even if they didn't do anything else about it, they should let Francine in on their secret.

Billy, too. Maybe he could quietly look into some way to keep her and Lee together in the field before they officially announced their marriage. Plus, Amanda was sure he would be terribly offended if he wasn't one of the first to know.

Finally, all sound had deserted the bathroom and Amanda rushed to wash her hands before anyone else could come in. Not even bothering to dry them, she hurried out into the hall.

"Hello, Amanda," Francine drawled from two feet away, where she was leaning casually against the wall. She had clearly been waiting for something, and Amanda suspected that something was her.

Startled, Amanda glanced up. "Oh, hello, Francine. How are you?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Cut the small talk, Amanda. How long were you in there? What were those women talking about?"

"Just the usual." Amanda was blushing furiously. "Lee has a bit of a reputation; they were just…laying it all out on the line."

"Like?" Francine prodded.

"Oh, you know…playboy, always seen with a different girl…good in bed… and they can't believe he could possibly be happy with little old me. God forbid he should actually want something resembling a normal life. And God forbid anybody might actually want someone like me." Stoically, Amanda shrugged and turned to continue down the hall.

Francine followed. "Look, Amanda, I know I don't know the first thing about you and Lee – but they know even less. I know Lee, and whatever it is that's going on between the two of you, he seems pretty serious about it. More serious than I've ever seen him." The blonde tugged at her sleeves uncomfortably, her voice going very quiet to avoid any eavesdroppers. "Besides…I know I haven't exactly been your biggest supporter here, but you've turned out pretty well. Maybe I was wrong about the other thing, too."

Amanda smiled, turning her head to look at her companion. "Thanks, Francine. That means a lot."

"Yeah, well, don't go around repeating that," the woman replied a little caustically. "I can't have it getting around that I was wrong about something."

Amanda chuckled. "No, heaven forbid."

* * *

Lee and Amanda stopped at Ned's for a late lunch on the way to the Embassy. The first charity event – a performance and lesson by a troupe of traditional dancers – would be starting at four that afternoon, and they wanted to be there early to keep an eye on things. The freshman candidates had been running background checks on all temporary staff and special guests – performers, organizers, and so forth. So far, everyone had come up clean, and Amanda was sure they were missing something.

"Well, if we are, we'll be there to see it firsthand," Lee encouraged, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Amanda made a face at her soup. "I just wish I knew what it was."

"Yeah, don't we all," he replied dryly.

"I mean," she continued earnestly, "if we only knew what the threat was about, or who it was from, or really _anything_…we might be able to stop this thing before it starts. But the only thing we know is…'rival noble family' from Dalin. That really isn't enough for us to – "

"Well, hi there, handsome!" a simpering voice interrupted. "Fancy seeing you here!"

The partners looked up to see a buxom redhead leaning down towards Lee, showing off her cleavage to her best advantage. "Uh, hi…Lori," he replied uncomfortably. Since they'd been together, he and Amanda had encountered a few of his previous…conquests…while out together, but thus far he'd managed to avoid any contact lasting beyond a few seconds and a quick brush-off. But Lori…well, she was _not_ the type to give up easily. And she appeared to have them cornered.

To her credit, Amanda managed to paste a friendly look on her face, though Lee could see the immense frustration beneath the mask. She stood and held out a hand to the new arrival. "Hello…Lori, was it? It's really nice to meet you. We were just discussing business…if you'd like to join us?" Amanda gestured to an empty chair.

Lee had to hold back a grin at the surprised look on Lori's face. "Uh…no, thanks, actually." If there was anything Lee remembered about the woman, it was that she did not appreciate being a third wheel. The redhead frowned, turning to Lee. "Business? I thought you were a cellist?"

Lee cleared his throat uncomfortably, trying his best to avoid Amanda's eye. Amanda, however, seemed merely amused, shooting him a glance before replying to the woman's question. "Yes, well, there is still a significant aspect of business to be discussed, though the artists themselves prefer not to deal with it. I'm Lee's manager; I take care of all the 'boring details,' as he calls them." She gave the leggy redhead a winning smile. "Things like salary, working hours, appointments with visiting masters…I could go on for hours! Why, last time Pavarotti was in town…"

"Oh, look at the time!" Lori said suddenly. "Well, it was…real good to see you, Lee. Give me a call sometime, will you?" She shot the eager brunette a disdainful glance. "And…next time, ditch the company?"

"No thanks, Lori, but it's nice to see you," Lee replied through gritted teeth.

When the woman had gone, Amanda could tell her husband was extremely uncomfortable. She grinned. "A cellist, Lee?" she teased gently. "You don't know the first thing about music!"

He flushed red, smoothing his tie. "Pavarotti…that was a nice touch."

"Yeah, well, I've gotta be good for something, right?"

Lee frowned, his discomfort forgotten. "Amanda, you're good for a whole hell of a lot. Not the least of which is your ability to confuse and distract…" He gave a wry grin. "But mostly, you're good for _me._ I don't want anyone else, I wish there'd never _been_ anyone else. But there has, and we have to deal with it. Believe me, I wish we didn't. It's getting kind of old."

Amanda's face softened. "Yeah, I know. I guess I'm just a little…oversensitive at the moment."

"Oversensitive?" He'd known her long enough to know when something was bothering her and she didn't want to talk about it. "Why, what happened?"

She merely shrugged. "Oh, it's not a big deal. Nothing that hasn't happened before. Just…the usual gossip, you know."

"The 'usual gossip,' as you put it, has a way of putting us in a pretty bad light," he replied gently. Now he _knew_ something was bothering her, and he wasn't about to let it go.

Soon she'd told him every word she'd overheard in the bathroom that morning. "And she called me _stuck up_! Me! Even Francine never thought I was stuck up! Do you think I'm stuck up, Lee?"

"Of course not!" he replied vehemently. "They're just jealous. And you know why?"

Amanda was trying to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. Lee took her hand in his own and kissed it.

"Because…_you_…have _me_…wrapped around your finger," he replied softly. "No one's done that before. No one's been enough for me. Except for you." He smiled tenderly at his wife. "Amanda Stetson, you're really something pretty special, you know that?"

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Lee." She swiped quickly at her eyes with her free hand. "I'm sorry I've been so emotional the last couple of days. I don't know what's gotten into me. First it was that argument we had, then it was Joe, now this…"

"Hey – don't worry about it." He pressed her hand to his lips again. "I love you."

"Love you too," she replied warmly.

* * *

Who is this Barbara person, and what tricks does she have up her sleeve? Francine is back in the ring again, scrutinizing Lee and Amanda's secret relationship. How much does she suspect? Would Lee have made a horrible cellist?

All this and more in Chapter 4!


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry to everyone who's been waiting anxiously for an update - work's been a little insane, and I've barely checked my e-mail, let alone upload another chapter. The entire story is written, save a few last-minute edits - so don't worry, you won't be left hanging!

Again, I'd like to send out a giant thank-you to everyone who commented. It makes the ideas flow!

Disclaimer: James Bond, _The Living Daylights_ and the characters and situations contained within belong to Ian Fleming and United Artists. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The Embassy grounds were crowded already when Lee and Amanda arrived. Ten African women dressed in bright, ornamented garb seemed to be the centre of attention; a large group of people were swarmed around them, some chattering excitedly, others fussing over the women's costumes, hair, and makeup. A team of men was setting up statuettes around the main courtyard, ostensibly in preparation for the performance. Several others, men and women, carried various drums and flutes to one corner of the yard. The view was a cacophony of colour and sound.

The afternoon, to Amanda's delight, went off without a hitch. The dancers were excellent, and the heavy, rhythmic music had penetrated her to the core. Lee had encouraged her to join in the lesson the dancers gave to all those in attendance – Amanda had tried for a few minutes, before deciding she felt silly and should really get back to work.

Lee grinned at her as the performers and their team began to pack up, and the guests began to leave. There had been a surprising mixture of people in attendance – parents, children, elderly; some people who looked very wealthy, others who seemed quite normal. A few of the wealthier attendees, Mrs. Talhi had gleefully told Amanda, had already donated a total of nearly a hundred thousand dollars, and many of the others had thrown a few dollars into the silver collection near the Embassy entrance on their way out, as a thank-you for an afternoon well spent. "I only hope we can attract some media attention, or maybe the government," the tall woman had said. "The private donations will help, but our country needs more than that. We need supplies, foreign aid workers, doctors…I do not even know where to begin," she'd continued sadly.

"Well, I'm sure it will work out," Amanda replied encouragingly before returning to Lee's side to observe the goings-on.

When all the guests and performers had left – agents stationed by the exit had surreptitiously done a head count to make sure no one had stayed behind – Lee and Amanda returned to Mr. and Mrs. Talhi.

"You have seen nothing so far?" the Ambassador asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Amanda replied. "Normally, that would be a good thing – but since the incident Friday night, somebody must be up to something."

Lee had to agree, but he didn't want to admit they had no idea who, or what. "Just keep your eyes open, keep your own security staff on alert. We have agents covering the Embassy around the clock, so if something happens, we'll catch it."

"Don't worry," Amanda added. "We'll find them."

A portly African man with close-cropped hair and small spectacles approached. "Oh! Njau, just who I was hoping to see." Talhi turned to Lee and Amanda. "Mr. Stetson, Mrs. King, I'd like you to meet Njau Bomo, our head of security here at the Embassy."

Lee and Amanda smiled politely, and each shook the man's hand.

"Have you noticed any strange activities in the last few weeks, Mr. Bomo?" Lee asked.

The African shook his head. "Everything has been quite ordinary," he replied. "I wish you luck in finding what you seek here."

Amanda thanked him. She and Lee bade the trio goodbye and made their way back to the apartment. Amanda made a call to Billy to give him a verbal report full of nothing, while Lee threw together a quick dinner.

"Well, Mrs. Stetson," Lee said when they had sat down to eat, "what now?"

She frowned. "Now, we get rid of some of this secrecy."

"Secrecy?"

Amanda sighed. "Francine knows something's going on with us. I feel bad lying to her about it."

"Francine?" Lee replied incredulously.

"Will you stop the parrot imitation?" she scolded lightly. "Yes, Francine. She was in the bathroom this morning…and she was awfully supportive. It was a bit unlike her, really."

Lee chuckled. "Yeah, she confronted me the other day too. Remember that, uh…argument she and Billy interrupted?"

Amanda flushed. "Yeah, I was wondering when that was going to come up. You know, I was thinking maybe we should tell Billy, too…off the record. Maybe he can find a way for us to stay together in the field when we announce our marriage officially."

"You may be right." Lee sighed. When had life gotten so complicated?

"Of course, that still leaves Mother and the boys," Amanda continued. "I was thinking…when we do decide to go public, it may be easier just to announce our engagement. Then we'll have another ceremony, publicly this time…"

Lee smiled at that thought. "Yeah…I think I'd like to marry you again, Amanda Stetson."

She blushed a little. "You know Mother would kill us if she knew we'd gone and done it without her…"

"But if we ever let it slip…" Lee frowned. "Maybe she'd be better off knowing the whole story."

"Including our jobs?"

"Including our jobs."

Amanda sighed. "You're probably right. Though I don't know if she'd even believe me…Did I tell you? I tried to tell her once…You remember when the Agency went under Condition Possum…and that KGB agent…Yuri Valov?...hypnotized me so I could remember what I'd transcribed from those conversations between Barkov and, and, oh, what was the other one's name? Yulanovski, that's it! Yulanovski. Anyway, when I went home to get Mother and the boys to leave town, she wouldn't listen to a word I said. So I told her…I told her I was a spy, and there was a nuclear bomb in D.C., and that she had to take the boys away so they'd be safe. And you know what she said?"

Lee's eyes were wide. "What?"

"She didn't believe me!" Amanda said, her voice raised in frustration. "She said something about me making up absurd stories when I was little, and told me if I really wanted her to go, just don't lie to her." She shook her head, not sure whether to laugh or cry.

Lee, for his part, found the whole thing a little too amusing. "You told your mother you were a spy…and she didn't believe you?" he chuckled. "No, I think I would've remembered you telling me about that."

Amanda grimaced. "That was one of the scariest mornings of my life. And not just because of the bomb."

"Yeah," Lee nodded. "Mine too." He considered his partner for a moment. "You know, I gained a lot of respect for you that day. You came back to help, even though you didn't have to. Even though you might've died, your family never would've seen you again." He smiled warmly at her. "You really are something, you know that?"

Amanda blushed and looked down at her plate. "Well, you know. I couldn't just leave you alone here in D.C. with a nuclear bomb!"

Lee chuckled and shook his head. "That's just one of the things I love about you, Amanda Stetson."

"Oh? Just one?" A mischievous look crossed her face, and she arched an eyebrow. "And what might the others be?"

Lee grinned and reached across the table for Amanda's hand. "Well, I really don't know if I have the time to list them all off."

* * *

Barbara Lamont spied her quarry walking leisurely down the hall from the bullpen, alone. She smiled. He appeared to be in a good mood this morning – and his partner was nowhere to be seen.

She knew the stories, of course – Scarecrow's reputation definitely preceded him. He was known for his incredible ability to give a woman a good time: wine, conversation, and a night of sheer bliss, as long as the woman played by the rules.

No strings, no expectations beyond that one night.

And what a night it would be! she exulted. True, Scarecrow seemed to have been steering clear of the Steno pool the last few years, with the rare exception of a work-related task – but Barbara was known for her ability to snare a man. Why, back at her former job with the FBI, she'd even managed to make several happily married men stray. Stray willingly – even eagerly.

And where Scarecrow was concerned, Barbara had seen what she was up against. Amanda King was merely a speck of dust in the eyes of Barbara Lamont.

Scarecrow didn't stand a chance.

Quickly checking her hair and her lipstick in her compact mirror, Barbara stood and straightened her clothes before striding out into the hall.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stetson?" she called.

He turned to face her inquisitively.

She pasted on her best seductive smile and swung her hips as she slowly closed the distance between them. "Hi…I don't believe we've been introduced." Barbara held out a hand. "I'm Barbara. I'm the new girl in Steno."

Lee smiled politely and shook her outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lee."

"Lee…" she purred, as if trying out the name. When he released her hand, she slid it up his arm to trace unspecified patterns on his chest. "Well, Lee," she said in a low voice, "I hear you're the one to see for a good time. I imagine you've heard the same about me?"

"Actually, I don't really listen to the scuttlebutt around here." Lee looked suddenly uncomfortable – and not with the kind of unease a man exhibits when he's attracted to a woman he shouldn't be attracted to. No, Lee Stetson merely seemed put out by the interruption. Barbara frowned. This might be more difficult than she'd thought.

Turning on all the charm she could muster, she grinned up at him and tilted her chest, flashing a little cleavage. "Well…we could always give 'em something to talk about." She gave a sly wink and used her hand on his chest to push herself away, smiling all the while.

As she turned to saunter away, still swaying her hips for all she was worth, she saw Lee Stetson roll his eyes and shake his head, as if in disbelief and disdain.

Disdain? Nobody treated Barbara Lamont with disdain. It was time for her to change tactics.

* * *

The penny carnival was in full swing by the time Amanda and Lee were finished making their rounds. They'd inspected all the games and events, and the standard background checks had been done by Beaman and his freshman agents. Nothing had come up any dirtier than the excrement left behind by the pony ride.

Speaking of Beaman, he was striding quickly towards the partners at that very moment. His gait was quick, his visage angry. "Uh-oh," Lee said in a low voice. "Here comes trouble."

"I really hope you two have something more concrete than a vague family rivalry that's been ongoing for years," the frustrated agent seethed. "My freshmen are sitting on their thumbs, waiting for something to happen. But there's been no indication of any kind of threat, nor has anything out of the ordinary occurred while we've been here."

"Uh, actually," Lee replied, "there have been reports of intruders on the premises recently." Well, there had only been _one_ report, but Beaman didn't need to know that. "And besides, that's what a security detail _is_ – waiting around for something to happen."

"Come on, Stetson, you know as well as I do that this is a chicken feed assignment. My freshmen have nothing to do – they're sitting on their thumbs! Don't we all have better things to do?"

Lee grimaced. "Welcome to the glamorous world of espionage, Beaman. Ten seconds of sheer terror followed by weeks of endless drudgery."

Amanda couldn't help herself. "Look, you two, we've got a job to do. We've been assigned to it, so there's no sense arguing about it. Agent Beaman, why don't you pull a few of the candidates off their posts to do a little walk-around? Just watch out for anyone going somewhere they shouldn't, or asking too many questions about the Embassy, the staff – the usual trouble spots. Leave everyone at the entrances, though – we don't want to lose count of our guests."

Throughout Amanda's extremely sensible set of suggestions, Lee could see the tension growing in Beaman's posture, the man's face growing ever more frustrated. "Mrs. King, you are not an agent. No one in their right mind at the Agency – " here he cast a dark glance at Scarecrow – "would take anything you say seriously. You have very little training, and you've been causing trouble since the first day Stetson dragged you into this business. Oh, I've heard about all the little fiascos that never would have happened if Mrs. King hadn't had car trouble, or gone to pick up takeout. As soon as the rest of the Agency figures out how much trouble you are without Scarecrow to bail you out – you'll be history." And with that, Beaman spun on his heel and strode away.

Amanda's eyes were wide, her face flushed. Lee couldn't tell if she was shocked, angry, or on the verge of tears. "Amanda?" He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Amanda, Beaman doesn't know a thing. Even Francine thinks you make a great agent." But she didn't seem to be listening. Lee noticed the direction of her gaze, just over his shoulder, and followed her eyes.

"What are Joe and the boys doing here?" her soft voice asked anxiously. "And Mother, too!" she exclaimed as Dotty came into view.

Lee groaned. "I don't know, but this certainly puts a wrinkle in things."

"Sure does."

Lee thought a moment. "Look, you've done lots of charity things before. Why should this be any different? You can tell your mother you found out about this thing from work, and volunteered to help. It is a good cause, after all."

Amanda nodded slowly. "Joe will know."

"Know what?"

"He'll know why I'm here." Amanda looked at Lee. "He'll know something's up. And how on earth am I going to face him after that big argument we had?"

Lee shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'll be right here. Besides, he won't dare say a word with Dotty and the boys around."

She grimaced. "That's what I'm worried about – he'll leave them somewhere, and come find me, and make a big scene."

"Well, that's one of the many reasons we have so many agents covering this place – to expel unruly visitors." Lee grinned lightly at her. "Especially if one of them happens to be your ex-husband."

"Oh, Lee, please don't tell me you have it in for Joe now," Amanda pleaded. The last thing she needed in her life was a feud between her ex-husband and her current husband. Well, maybe not the _last _thing. With her line of work, she could definitely think of worse.

"Oh – they've seen us. Better go say hello," Amanda said in resignation, straightening her blouse and walking toward her family.

"Oh, Amanda, isn't this place amazing?" Dotty gushed as soon as her daughter was within earshot. "I mean, look at all these beautiful decorations! The statues, the flags… They're all African, right?"

"That's right, Dotty," Joe interrupted warmly. "Everything here – well, except the carnival games, of course – is from a small east African country called Dalin. They're trying to raise money for the nation to recover from that hurricane they just had."

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Phillip interrupted.

Joe frowned. "Oh, I'm sure your mother just got recruited to help with the fundraiser. You know how she's always doing all these things," he said a bit frostily.

Amanda smiled blankly. "Yes, that's right. You know how I've always been a sucker for a good cause."

Joe's frown deepened. "Amanda, since you're here…I assume you know the Ambassador? He's running the event, I presume."

"No, actually, his wife is. Would you like an introduction?" she asked her ex politely.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

As Amanda led Joe to where Mr. and Mrs. Talhi were watching the proceedings, Lee awkwardly stood with Dotty and the boys. "So…" he said, a little uncomfortably. "What brings you down here?"

Dotty smiled. "Oh, well, Joe heard all about it from work, of course, and he thought it would be just wonderful to bring the family. We're making a day of it."

Jamie was looking up at Lee curiously. "I know Mom's helping, but what are you doing here, Lee?"

Lee cleared his throat. "Well, you see, your mother and I – well, we heard about this fundraiser through work. Our boss wanted us to check it out, see if Dalin would make a good subject…for a film, you know. And, of course, your mother being who she is, offered to help out."

Jamie had a strange look on his face, but a jab on the arm from Phillip quickly drew his attention. "Hey, Worm Brain! Did you see the horses? Grandma, can we go ride the horses?"

Relieved, Lee quickly made his excuses and extricated himself from the family. Not that he didn't enjoy spending time with them – he loved them dearly. They were his family too. But having his worlds collide like that – he and Amanda were supposed to be working, and all of a sudden the entire family was there – well, he had new respect for Amanda's ability to juggle everything. Especially when her two lives got too close to one another.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Joe King said warmly, shaking the Ambassador's hand enthusiastically. "I work for the Emergency Aid Organization, and I think we can help you."

Amanda groaned inwardly. She should have known Joe had been here because of work. And dragging the boys along like that…making them think he actually wanted to spend time with them…

_Now is not the time, Amanda King. Stetson. Whatever. You're working. You don't have time to worry about how many times Joe takes the boys for the weekend, and ends up working the whole time. Or the times he lets them tag along for a quick trip to the office that takes the entire afternoon. Or the times he gets after you for all the time _you_ spend working._

_Now is _not_ the time!_

Noticing Lee a little ways away, she caught his eye. He waved her over. Gratefully, she politely excused herself from the conversation and rushed to meet him.

"What does Joe want with the Ambassador?" Lee wanted to know.

"Work." Amanda's face was stoic.

"Oh." Lee's brow furrowed. "So, he's here for work…but he just thought he'd bring your mother and your sons along for the ride?"

"Oh, not _now!_" Amanda said in exasperation.

Lee frowned. "What do you mean, not now?"

She sighed. "That is exactly what I was thinking two minutes ago, but we're here working, and Joe's here working, and my family is here, and it's all such a mess…I can't deal with this right now! That man just makes me so _angry!_"

"Tell me about it," Lee commiserated.

The rest of the afternoon passed fairly uneventfully. Lee and Amanda managed to keep a low profile, even with their family present. Beaman grumbled, but after Amanda mentioned the need to call Billy to give a verbal report, he settled down and followed orders. All in all, the afternoon was a success.

And there was still no sign of trouble.

Trying to lift her spirits, Lee suggested they pick up pizza and a movie and spend the night with Phillip and Jamie.

Amanda smiled at him. "That sounds like an excellent idea!"

Forty-five minutes later, Lee rang the doorbell with pizza in hand. Jamie opened the door eagerly. "What movie did you get, Lee?"

He grinned wryly. "Well, it's one you and your brother have been wanting to see. And your mother let me talk her into letting you."

"Really? Is it Die Hard?"

Lee chuckled. "Nope. James Bond."

Amanda appeared at the top of the stairs. "You didn't."

"I did."

"I didn't think you meant tonight." She rolled her eyes and took the pizza box from him. Turning to the stairs, she yelled, "Dinner's here!" She looked down at her youngest son. "Jamie, why don't you take this into the kitchen and get us some plates?" When the teen had left, Amanda poked her husband in the ribs. "Let me guess, you're going to sit through the entire thing and pick it apart."

Lee shrugged. "Only if it's unrealistic."

Amanda snorted. "It's a _movie! _Of course it's going to be unrealistic!"

"Well, it isn't my fault if screenwriters have no idea what the life of a spy is like," he defended quietly.

"I thought the proper term was 'intelligence operative'," Amanda retorted.

He grinned. "That's right. Glad you remembered!"

Amanda poked him again. "Come on, husband. Let's go see how spies really live."

Lee chuckled and shook his head as he followed his wife through the house.

_Well, Amanda was right about one thing,_ he mused as the final credits rolled up the screen. _It certainly was unrealistic._

The boys, however, seemed to have enjoyed it well enough. "Did you see those huge explosions? That Jeep blew halfway up to the sky!"

_Not likely,_ Stetson thought.

"And the plane – when Double-Oh-Seven let it fly into that cliff…_awesome!"_

Lee rolled his eyes, unable to stop himself from joining in the conversation. "You know, something's always bugged me about James Bond. He always travels under his own name. Never an alias. Everyone knows James Bond is a spy. One of these days, one of his enemies is just going to pick the lock on his hotel room and kill him in his sleep."

Dotty looked at Lee, dumbfounded. "Well, that was a morbid thought," she said finally.

Amanda sighed and intervened, hoping to salvage the situation. "You know what I don't get?" she asked thoughtfully. "Why didn't he just pick the lock on his handcuffs?"

"Really, Mom, it's not as easy as they make it look in the movies," Phillip replied.

"But this _is_ the movies, and he's supposed to be some kind of super-spy!" Jamie retorted. "Why shouldn't he be able to pick his handcuffs?"

"Well, maybe he didn't have a lock-pick with him," Dotty replied animatedly.

"Oh, that doesn't matter," Amanda interjected. "I'm sure he could've found something. A hairpin…a corkscrew…" She shot an amused glance at her husband. "His belt…"

"How on earth would his belt help him pick a lock?" Dotty asked.

Phillip shook his head. "I don't think a belt would work, Mom."

Amanda only smiled.

After the boys had gone to bed, Lee and Amanda remained cuddled on the couch, still absorbed in thoughts of James Bond. "He's awful at following orders," Lee mused. "He's got no sense of the big picture – always running off on his own, without a thought to his own safety – or anyone else's. I mean, you saw how he let that Jeep go over the cliff. You saw the wreckage they left along the road – and he barely made it out in time! Wouldn't you hate to have that for a partner?"

Amanda looked amused. "I think I do."

"What? Come on!"

"No, I'm serious!" she teased, ticking off her points on her fingers. "Never follows orders, check; likes fancy clothes, fancy cars, check; uses a gun to accessorize his tux, check; always with a different girl, check…"

"Hey!" Lee protested. "There's only _one_ girl I've been seen with lately, _Mrs. Stetson,_" he said softly, leaning in for a kiss.

Amanda looked up at him a bit breathlessly. "Well, he sure knows how to make a girl feel special. That's definitely a trait you share in common."

Lee laughed. "Well, I have to admit, I saw a bit of you in that movie, too."

"Oh?"

"Yep." He planted a kiss on her lips. "You've developed quite a reputation for this kind of thing, Mrs. Stetson. All those ordinary, everyday things being used as weapons. First, there was the rolling pin…then, the bucket…"

"Don't forget the amazing exploding milk," Amanda said dryly.

"Yeah…I don't think that's been invented yet." Lee chuckled. "You know something else? The first time we worked together, you flew a helicopter."

"Yeah, I suppose I did," she replied, recalling the woman in the movie trying to fly the plane. She had a sudden thought. "Hey, you know something? You used to tell some of your…women…you were a cellist."

"Don't remind me."

"Ever had your cello shot in the line of duty?"

He glared, searching his memory for something to change the subject. Anything. "Hey, you know that KGB agent? Pushkin?"

"Yeah?"

Lee smiled. "Don't you think he looks an awful lot like that Lord Bromfield?"

"You know what? He does. He really does!"

Lee shook his head in mock disappointment. "And to think, you could have been having an affair with a KGB lookalike!"

Amanda smacked his arm. "Very funny, Stetson."

He merely chuckled and sat back in his seat. "Don't you wish sometimes that life could be as simple as it is in the movies?"

"Nope," she replied confidently. "You call that simple? A war-game turns into a potential frame-up job and a plot to assassinate spies, which then turns into a problem with an international arms dealer, which then leads to drug trafficking in the Middle East! Even our cases aren't that convoluted!"

"Oh, no?" Lee replied, eyebrow raised. "As I recall, you were the source of the only Class C interrogation in recorded history to turn into a full scramble! I don't know how you do it, Amanda, but you sure know how to attract trouble."

"Oh, just lucky, I guess," she said, shrugging. "After all, I got you." She smiled coyly. "And you're the biggest trouble of all!"

Lee's jaw dropped in mock indignation. "Is that what you think, Mrs. Stetson? I'll show you trouble!"

* * *

Barbara is back - what kind of trouble is she up to this time? Will Lee fall for her tricks? What is Beaman going to say about this dead-end assignment? And...that poor Stradivarius cello!

Author's note: _The Living Daylights_, starring Timothy Dalton as James Bond, came out in 1987. When I wrote this chapter, I hadn't checked the actors' names – so although Pushkin and Lord Bromfield are both played by John Rhys-Davies, I had meant them to simply resemble each other. Oops!


	5. Chapter 5

I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I've been on this site! I've been doing nothing but work and sleep, trying to fend off a cold. Yuck. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to keep the updates coming...it's so wonderful to have so many people excited to see what comes next.

So without further ado - Chapter 5! Enjoy!

Warning: the final scene in this chapter contains sexual situations. You have been warned.

* * *

Barbara knew she had to move soon – but not too soon. If she'd gone back to Scarecrow yesterday, he'd have known right away that she was up to something. Leave it too long, though, and he'd have forgotten about it – and likely would have thought her odd for bringing it up again after so much time.

It would have to be today. Her plan had two objectives: first, to give Lee Stetson a new opinion of her…make him realize she was more than just a pretty face. She was capable of real thoughts and emotions, too – which put her up a notch from the rest of the Steno pool, she thought cynically.

Second, she needed to intrigue Scarecrow, somehow. She needed something that would catch his attention, make him want to get to know her.

It would have to be something good, too – something to completely wipe from his mind any thought of that pretty partner of his. Something a housewife would never think of doing…something most women _never_ did. Something like…

Then it hit her. Sports! Men _loved_ sports. Women alternately tolerated and hated them, depending how many hours their men had watched that week. But Barbara could cheer with the best of them, even if she despised every minute. She had a friend down at the stadium box office who owed her a few favours…if she could just get tickets to the next home game…

Even Lee Stetson couldn't resist seats on the fifty-yard line, could he?

Eagerly, she placed the call. When she'd hung up, she was ecstatic. Rob had been able to get her tickets to next Monday's game, right in the middle of the action.

She had her bait. Now, all she had to do was reel in her prey.

It was nearly five by the time she saw Stetson passing through the hall again. And this time, his partner was with him.

An obstacle, to be sure. But not insurmountable.

Pasting a guileless expression on her face, she quickly made her way out to the hall. "Lee?" When the pair turned around, she glanced apologetically at Amanda before returning her gaze to Lee's handsome face. "Can I see you for a minute?"

He glanced at Amanda, who nodded. "I'll see you upstairs," she said cheerfully before turning and walking to the elevator.

Barbara smiled. _Perfect_.

"Lee," she began as remorsefully as she knew how, "I'm sorry about yesterday. I know I was completely unprofessional, and really out of line. I really didn't mean to come on so strong…" She let a slight waver enter her voice. "It's just that I'm so new here, and I don't know how things work around this place…and I just wanted someone I could spend some time with, you know?"

Stage One complete. Lee's face had turned compassionate, and Barbara smiled in satisfaction – inwardly, of course. Her face showed nothing but earnestness and a touch of vulnerability. She suspected Stetson was a sucker for a girl who needed a little comforting.

"Will you let me make it up to you?"

Lee blinked, seemingly taken a little off guard. _Good,_ she thought. Let him be a little confused. That was always good for a man.

"A friend of mine is trying to get rid of these Redskins tickets, for next Monday…and I love football, but I don't have too many friends around here. I was wondering…hoping, really…" She let her voice trail off hesitantly.

Lee felt badly for her – that much was obvious. But he was shaking his head gently, as if reluctant to let her down. "Sorry, but I really don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I'm going to a basketball game Monday, work permitting."

Barbara frowned. Stage Two was not going as planned. "I didn't realize the Bullets were playing Monday."

Lee grinned. It was an entrancing sight, Barbara noted idly. "Oh, they aren't," he said cheerfully. "Not that I know of, anyway. It's a high school team. Family thing, you know." He shrugged helplessly.

"Oh…well, I understand, of course," she said meekly. Inwardly, she was steamed. All the information she had obtained indicated that Scarecrow had very little family – and none that he was close to. What could he possibly have meant by that comment?

Lee smiled at her then, reading the frustration on her face. His smile was genuinely friendly – a look Barbara didn't think she'd ever seen on a man's face, least of all directed at her. "I hope you find your way here," he said sincerely. "Don't let anyone talk down to you. And I hope you find that friend you're looking for – it just isn't me."

Barbara stood, dumbfounded, as Scarecrow, the infamous womanizer, strolled away whistling.

Strolled away from Barbara Lamont!

She fumed. That was it! No one said no to Barbara Lamont forever. No – in the end, they all said the same thing:

Yes. Oh, yes.

* * *

The phone rang in the Q Bureau, and Amanda reluctantly tore her lips away from Lee's to answer it. "Film library, Amanda King speaking."

"Amanda, can you get Lee on the extension? There's something the two of you need to hear."

"Francine," Amanda whispered, pointing to the phone on the other desk. He nodded and walked over to pick it up.

"What's up, Francine?"

"One of my snitches just got wind of an assassination attempt on the Dalinese Ambassador," she said briskly. "I don't know how much truth there is to it, but she's pretty reliable. Seems it's supposed to happen this week."

"An assassination attempt?" Sure, Amanda had made a throwaway comment to Joe last week about preventing an assassination, but she'd had no idea…

"And there's more," Francine continued. "My source seems to think the Talhis' rivals are going to try to get a man inside the Embassy. And with all the events this week…"

"The Ambassador's going to be a sitting duck," Lee said darkly.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door to the Q Bureau, and Lee looked up, startled. "Just a minute," he called, standing and crossing the office to unlock the door.

He was a little surprised to see Barbara from Steno standing there. "Hi, Lee," she said with a shyness Lee would bet his job was fake. "Can I come in?"

Lee shrugged and stood back from the door so she could enter. She gazed around the room. "So this is where it all happens," she breathed awefully. "All those late nights on the job; all those flashes of brilliance that give Scarecrow the last clue he needs to solve the case…"

He rolled his eyes behind her back. She was making this sound like a bad detective movie. "It's really not that exciting, Barbara. It's a whole lot of legwork and even more paperwork."

She turned to him with a coy smile. "I'd be happy to come up here and help you with that…paperwork." The way she said that last word told Lee she had something on her mind other than Agency business.

Lee sighed. The last few years, he'd had to discourage a few women. Okay, maybe more than a few. Sometimes the attention embarrassed him, especially when Amanda was around. Other times, it was merely annoying. But over time, most of the women he had known had gotten the picture that Scarecrow just wasn't interested anymore.

Which was why this barracuda was so difficult to fend off. In the past, he would have willingly given her what she wanted and then they would have gone their separate ways. He had no frame of reference for keeping a woman like this away from him.

She was currently sauntering toward him, swaying her hips sensually, a sultry expression on her face. Lee grimaced. Much as he hated to admit it, he suspected he was going to have to ask for some advice.

Meanwhile, though, he'd have to get her off his back for the day.

"Uh, Miss Lamont," he said as politely as he could muster – he was still reluctant to be rude to the woman – "I really think you're getting the wrong idea. You see, we're at work. And I actually have a lot to get done today, none of which can be assisted by your skills, however…extensive they may be." Lee Stetson could make innuendos with the best of them. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave my office."

Barbara looked stricken. "I…I just wanted to help, Lee. I'm…sorry to have bothered you." And with that, she turned and rushed out the door.

Amanda came out of the vault just then, fixing Lee with an appraising stare. "What did you do to that poor girl?"

"Poor girl?" Lee asked incredulously. "That piranha has been trying to sink her teeth into me for a week! She does not take a hint, let me tell you." He rubbed the back of his neck with a weary hand. "That little emotional display of hers? Crocodile tears. She's a classic manipulator, Amanda, and I only just figured it out now. She actually had me feeling _sorry_ for her earlier!" He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I didn't see through her that first time she walked up to me with that look on her face."

Amanda smiled, amused. "What look on her face, Stetson? Aren't you supposed to be used to all this female attention?"

Lee frowned, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "She's using me, the same way Sonja Chenko was using me. I just wish I knew for what."

Amanda's mind was in full agent mode now. "What happened?"

Lee recounted the first two encounters he'd had with the woman, as impassively and as detailed as if he were being debriefed.

"And you heard her this morning – but you didn't see the way she was standing. Flashing her cleavage, pouting her lips – you know. The usual."

"The usual?" Amanda laughed. "I'd forgotten that your idea of 'normal' isn't exactly what the rest of us are used to, Scarecrow," she teased.

Lee grimaced. "Amanda, I'm serious. I want her off me. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know." Amanda sighed. "Maybe I'll talk to her. Put her in her place."

"Is that really a good idea? The gossip mill is already spinning a mile a minute lately about us."

She shook her head. "I'll do it as your partner. Tell her you don't need any distractions at work." A wicked grin crept onto her face as another idea occurred. "Or…maybe we should get Francine to do it."

"If anyone is a match for that woman, it's Francine." Lee's grin grew to match hers. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall for _that_ conversation!"

"Maybe that can be arranged," she replied cunningly.

* * *

The rest of the week's fundraising events went off without a hitch, much to Amanda's disappointment. She had hoped they would get a lead in the case early in the week so they could have the threat dealt with before the ball, but she wasn't to be that lucky. Friday afternoon, Amanda came home from the office at 2:00, planning to get dressed for that evening's ball before heading over early to coordinate security plans with Lee.

When she raced up the stairs and into her bedroom, however, she was shocked to see her mother half in her closet. "Mother! What are you doing in there?"

Dotty poked her head out. "Oh, Amanda! You're home awfully early."

"Yes, Mother, I've got to get ready for the ball, and get there early. What are you doing in my closet?"

"Oh, Amanda, I'm sorry, I know I should've asked first, but I just wanted to borrow those blue shoes of yours. You said you'd be wearing a red dress tonight, so I didn't think you'd mind."

Amanda reached for her mother's hands to pull her to her feet. "Oh, Mother! Of course I don't mind. Let me grab them for you." She stuck her head in the closet and began rummaging, pausing to surreptitiously check that the shoebox where she kept certain…keepsakes…remained undisturbed. Certain items in that box would have been quite difficult to explain – particularly the two sets of wedding photos that had the couple in completely different clothes.

_Whew! That was a close one,_ Amanda thought as she pulled out the blue heels triumphantly. "Here you are, Mother. What do you need them for, anyway?"

Dotty smiled mysteriously. "Well…you see, when Joe took the boys and me to that penny carnival you were helping with, I met the most handsome African man…I think he works there, at the Embassy…anyway, he has to be there tonight to help with security, but he asked if I'd like to come along to keep him company. He was really very sweet about it – told me he'd understand if I didn't want to, it might be a little boring for me since he has to work…but I said it was fine, because I knew a few people who were helping out, and I'm sure I could find someone to talk to."

"Oh, Mother!" Amanda grimaced inwardly. "Well, I hope you have a good time. I don't know if I'll have much time to chat with you, but I'm sure you'll have a lovely evening."

Dotty gave her daughter an enigmatic grin. "I'm sure you will too, dear. Oh, and tell Lee I think the dress he bought you is just exquisite."

"Mother!" Amanda protested to the woman's retreating back. Yes, Lee had bought the red dress she'd be wearing tonight…but how did her mother know?

* * *

At three-thirty exactly, Lee Stetson pulled the 'Vette up to 4247 Maplewood and rang the doorbell. Even after a year of legally, if not officially, being part of the family, he still had to fight the urge to go to the back door. Especially when he was there for work-related reasons.

Dotty answered the door in a light-blue satin dressing gown that had slid open just enough to reveal a midnight-blue evening gown. Lee smiled warmly at his mother-in-law. "Dotty! You look lovely, as always," he said charmingly.

"Well, thank you, Lee. You'll have to let me know later what the full effect is," she said mischievously. "Amanda's just upstairs, but I don't think she's ready yet."

"I'm right here, Mother," Amanda said from the top of the stairs.

A low whistle escaped Lee's lips. Amanda looked beyond stunning tonight – the floor-length red dress hugged her figure in all the right places, and Lee couldn't wait to see what she looked like from behind. The front pieces of her hair were pulled back from her face, showing off makeup that was a little more dramatic than usual. Francine would have turned green with envy. Amanda would be the belle of the ball tonight.

Lee couldn't take his eyes off his wife as she descended the staircase. He reached out for her hand as she took the last step, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles softly. "You look amazing," he said softly.

"Thank you," she said a bit shyly, smoothing the folds of her skirt. "I had help."

Lee shook his head, moving to whisper in her ear. "It's not the dress, Amanda. You make it beautiful."

Dotty fanned herself and retreated up the stairs.

Amanda chuckled and swatted her partner's arm. "Bet you say that to all the girls you buy dresses for."

Lee grimaced at the reminder of another dress he'd given to another tall, 'normal' brunette. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Oh, eventually." She grinned and picked up her coat and purse. "Shall we?"

"In a minute." Lee took her shoulders to still her movements and leaned in for a searing kiss.

* * *

From his self-appointed post at the bar, Lee allowed himself the luxury of watching his wife work. Only a few guests had arrived thus far, and Amanda was speaking with the Embassy security staff and the Agency teams that would be covering the event. She really did look phenomenal tonight – not only was she beautiful, but the way she was taking charge… Lee smiled. Amanda had really come into her own the last couple years. He gained respect for her every day on the job – she just kept surprising him. Sometimes he thought she was meant for this job even more than he was.

She was beautiful, standing there in her gorgeous red dress, ordering around the minions. She had that look on her face that she always got when she was being businesslike; it always made Lee want to kiss her to ruffle that seemingly unshakeable confidence. Amanda was stunning when she was flustered. And Lee took great pleasure in being the one to fluster her on a regular basis.

Eventually, the small crowd of agents, freshmen, and security staff dispersed. Lee looked on as Amanda made her way around to each of their posts in turn, giving them instruction or encouragement as the guests began to trickle in. Soon the ballroom was full of couples eating, drinking, dancing, and talking – and hopefully donating to the Dalinese Embassy.

Though he could be content merely watching Amanda all evening, he much preferred having her in his arms. So once it appeared everything was running smoothly, and nothing further needed to be coordinated, Lee stealthily made his way to the far side of the ballroom where Amanda stood alone, surveying the proceedings with a look of satisfaction. He snuck up behind his wife and slid a hand around her waist, suppressing the urge to draw her into his arms then and there – there was, after all, a significant Agency presence here.

"Care to dance, beautiful?" he asked softly in her ear.

Amanda grinned up at him, relishing the feel of his arm around her. "Love to, Scarecrow."

As they slowly circled the dance floor, Lee relished the excuse to have Amanda in his arms. It was so hard sometimes to keep their marriage a secret, when all he wanted to do was shout to everyone that the most wonderful, beautiful woman in the world was _his_. Especially when she was dressed like this.

"Have I mentioned," he said in her ear, his voice sultry, "how absolutely stunning you look tonight?"

A dusting of pink tinged her cheeks. "Why yes, I do believe you have. Though it's nice to know you still think so," she teased.

Lee laughed. "How did I get so lucky as to have a woman with beauty, brains, _and_ a sense of humour?" He shook his head. "You are something else, Amanda King."

"That's Amanda _Stetson_, to you," she said softly in his ear.

He smiled proudly. "I guess it is, isn't it?" He drew her tighter into his arms, and she gave a soft sigh. Suddenly, she stiffened.

"Mother's here," she whispered.

"What?" Lee was a little stunned.

Amanda sighed, seeing Njau Bomo helping her mother off with her coat. "Well, you know how she and Joe and the boys were here on Tuesday? Well, it seems the head of Embassy security took a liking to her."

Lee groaned. "Now I just _know_ something's going to go wrong."

She shook her head. "I told Mother not to say anything about knowing me. I told her I didn't want any accusations of nepotism being thrown about…She looked at me a little strangely, but it'll be alright."

"Yeah, as long as Mr. Bomo over there doesn't say anything to _her._"

Amanda smiled suddenly. "She looks amazing, doesn't she?"

Lee maneuvered them around so he could see his mother-in-law. "Wow," he whistled when he finally saw her. She was wearing a lovely midnight blue gown, inset with rhinestone and embroidered detailing along the collar and waist, and accompanied by a filmy blue shawl. He grinned down at his lovely wife. "I think it runs in the family."

The evening passed uneventfully, save for a slight mix-up with the catering near the end of the evening. Amanda was a little surprised she hadn't seen more of her mother; for the first few hours, Dotty had barely left the dance floor, but she seemed to have disappeared, though Njau Bomo could still be seen occasionally walking through the ballroom to check on his staff.

As guests slowly drifted out of the Embassy and catering staff began to gather up the last of the dishes, Lee and Amanda did a last sweep of the building, ensuring that all Agency personnel were at their posts and that nothing suspicious had occurred. Nothing had, so they returned to the ballroom and stood with Chay Talhi to survey the proceedings.

The last of the guests finally left, and the Ambassador re-entered the ballroom accompanied by his head of security. As the staff moved in to clean the room, the pair crossed the room to Lee and Amanda. "I saw two people going down the east corridor – a man and a woman," Bomo told them quietly, "but it seems they were trying to find an empty bedroom. None of my staff saw anything strange, other than that."

Lee nodded. "Well, it was a bit of a long shot that they'd wait all week to act tonight."

The couple waited for their fellow agents to complete a final sweep before bidding farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Talhi. As they walked down the stone path to the small parking lot, Lee slid his hand lightly up and down Amanda's back, letting it slip down low enough to brush her rear before returning to settle on her waist.

She looked up at him reproachfully. "This place is still crawling with agents, Lee," she hissed, though her cheeks were flushed from the playful contact.

He grinned. "There's no one out here, Amanda. Why shouldn't I touch my beautiful wife? I've barely had a moment with her all evening." He tilted his head to nibble on her ear, and she shivered.

"Lee!" Amanda could feel the heat rising in her belly, and she wanted nothing more than to pull his clothes off then and there. Watching him all night from across the room, looking so delectable in his perfectly tailored tuxedo, she had felt warm just knowing he was hers. That _she_ was the lucky woman he would be taking home tonight, tomorrow, and forever. Now, walking next to him in her evening gown, their shoes clicking in tandem along the stone path, she felt as though she already _was_ home.

She leaned into his side as they walked, enjoying the feel of the smooth fabric of his jacket against her bare arm. "How do you feel about heading back to the apartment tonight? Joe has the boys for the night…I don't imagine Mother will miss me, either." She shot him a coy grin.

He chuckled. It was so nice to feel like a couple, for once. Just walking to the car together, holding each other, flirting. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mrs. Stetson," he said softly in her ear, his breath tickling her neck and sending tingles to her most intimate place. Thoughts of the night to come consumed her, and she suddenly found herself having incredible difficulty walking in a straight line.

Scarecrow just had that effect on her.

* * *

_Warning: the following scene is rated M due to sexual content. If you are not of legal age in your area, please skip the rest of this chapter._

* * *

Despite Amanda's gentle urges to keep to the posted limits, Lee sped all the way home. He escorted Amanda into his building, and she cheerfully greeted the doorman before Lee all but pushed her into the elevator.

When the doors slid shut, their hands and lips were on each other immediately. Amanda's shawl slid off her shoulder, her hair becoming slightly mussed as Lee slid an urgent hand through it. By the time they reached Lee's floor, both were breathing heavily, their faces flushed.

Lee fumbled with the key to the door until Amanda took it out of his hand. When they finally entered the apartment, she was the one to take charge. She backed him up against the door and slipped her hands under his jacket, tracing the muscled contours of his chest and abdomen. Lee's breath quickened. Amanda knew just how to touch him to make him squirm…he couldn't help how quickly he reacted.

Keeping his passion just barely in check, he led Amanda to the bedroom. He let her remove his jacket slowly, and after she had placed it gently on the chair along with her wrap, he slid his hands through her hair again, unhurriedly pulling each pin from her head and dropping it on the bedside table. When it was finally freed from all restrictions, he ran his fingers along the silky curls, enjoying the feel of its softness between his fingers.

He could feel Amanda's hands unfastening his vest, and he could feel his body responding to her. She moved to his collar and untied his bowtie, before slowly undoing each button on his shirt from top to bottom. When she reached his waist, she tugged the bottom edge out of his pants and slid it off his shoulders and down his arms. When she reached for the button on his pants, Lee caught her wrists and pulled them up to safer territory.

"Not just yet, my love," he whispered, pulling Amanda against him and enjoying the feel of her satin dress against his bare chest. She was beautiful, and she felt so good in his arms. She was delicate, and warm, and definitely all woman. He could already feel himself hardening against her welcoming body. Amanda was all but wrapped around him, clinging to his strength and exploring every inch of his exposed skin with taunting fingers.

The cool air of the room, Amanda's warmth; the smooth satin of her dress, the rough scrape of her nails on his back; the contrasts were more than enough to make him lose control. But he knew their nights together were far too rare not to take his time enjoying her delicious body. He captured her lips, dipping his tongue inside her ever so briefly before tracing his way down her neck and dropping a kiss to her shoulder as he slid the strap of her dress down her arm. He felt her tremble, and snaked a strong arm around her waist to keep her standing.

He felt his way up to the zipper on the back of her dress and lowered it inch by inch, enjoying the feel of her anticipation. Gently he slid the dress over her hips, letting it pool on the floor. He gazed at the expanse of newly exposed flesh, adorned only by a red bra, panties, and a garter belt attached to Amanda's usual thigh-high stockings. "So beautiful," he breathed. "And mine."

Amanda gave her husband a sultry smile and stepped out of her dress. She kept walking forward, forcing Lee to step backward until the backs of his legs hit the bed. "My turn."

She once again reached for the button on his waistband, and this time he didn't stop her. When he was completely bare, she stepped forward and pressed herself against him. He couldn't stifle the low moan that built in his throat. "Oh, God, Manda…"

He slipped his hand between their bodies to undo the front clasp on her bra. When the garment had been removed, he leaned down to tease her with his tongue, licking and sucking a tantalizing trail down her neck, down her breastbone, along the underside of one pale breast, back up the outside, carefully avoiding the tender peak. He traced his fingers across her other side, along her stomach and along the top edge of her underwear. When he felt her begin to quiver, he finally took her sensitive nipple between his lips, nipping gently with his teeth.

"Lee!" Her broken voice tore at him, and he swiftly straightened and lifted her into his arms, lowering her to the bed. He kissed her navel, swirling his tongue down into the small depression, before his mouth moved a little lower, travelling to the crease of her hip. His hands found the tops of her stockings and undid the clasps attaching them to her garter belt. He rolled them down each leg in turn with agonizing slowness, gently kissing his way down as he went.

Lee always loved when Amanda wore skirts or dresses. She hated pantyhose – so every time he undressed her she looked like a gift all wrapped up just for him. When he'd discovered her penchant for garter and stockings, he'd caught fire immediately, recalling all the times she'd worn a dress to an Embassy party, or a skirt to work. The knowledge of what she'd had on underneath all those times he'd spent all day with her, never once suspecting the delicacy that lay below her clothes…

He smiled into the soft flesh of her thigh, enjoying the torture he knew he was putting her through. He could feel himself reacting to every little noise that escaped her throat, and he gloried in the power he had to reduce her to begging.

"Lee, _please_!" she cried softly as he gently removed her garter and panties, placing one wet kiss on the inside of one thigh on his way back up. He hovered over her most sensitive area, letting his hot breath tease her flesh, but pulling away without making contact. She squirmed, and he smiled in satisfaction.

He moved to cover her body with his, joining their mouths together in a dance familiar to both of them. Feeling her writhing body beneath him was almost too much to bear – the woman could never seem to get enough of him, and he felt the same about her. It was a heady sensation, the uncontrollable passion they had for each other, and Lee was lost in her once again.

Too soon and yet not soon enough, they could wait no longer. "I love you, Amanda Stetson," he whispered tenderly as they began to move in unison, reveling in the feel of each other's bodies, the tenderness of a lover's touch. Breathlessly, helplessly, they clung to each other as they scaled each peak of ecstasy together. Soon, the world had shattered around them, leaving nothing but the two of them at the centre of the spiraling universe.

Lee pulled his wife tightly to him as the world slowly stopped its wild spin. Their breathing slowed, their pulses relaxed. Amanda gave a contented sigh against his chest before drifting off to sleep.

Lee lay awake for a while longer, just enjoying the opportunity to sleep with Amanda in his arms. How any other woman thought she could possibly make him happy was just beyond him. His body was so attuned to Amanda's – he knew immediately when she entered a room; her every touch set him aflame. And when she looked at him with that mischievous grin…

He nearly laughed aloud at the recollection of Barbara Lamont's clumsy attempts at flirtation. Nothing she had done had remotely interested him – the touching, the posturing, the teasing. But Amanda only had to look at him to make him want her.

Lee dropped a kiss to her hair before settling himself in to sleep for the night, hoping his dreams would be filled with a particular fascinating brunette.

* * *

Poor Barbara! She doesn't stand a chance. But will she continue the chase? Who will get rid of her once and for all? And what is going on with this bizarre dead-end case? The fundraisers are all over...but is it really the end?

Stay tuned for Chapter 6!

Author's Note: If you enjoyed that last scene, there is a slightly more explicit version in the Wicky Archive, as well as a few other stories of mine that are a little too risque for this site. If you're interested in reading them, please visit the Wicky Archive and look for the pen name 'musicbrain.' There's also a lot of other really good fiction on there, explicit and otherwise.

Happy reading, everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

I'm back, finally! I'd like to thank everyone who's been checking for updates, and to everyone who reviewed (and special thanks to those who prodded me to get my butt in gear and start posting!)

Without further ado, here is chapter 6 - and things are about to get VERY interesting!

* * *

"Lee, I was thinking," Amanda said as he drove her home late the next morning, "I'd like to stop by the Embassy this afternoon and ask a few questions of some of the kitchen staff. Don't you think it's a little strange that no one but the Ambassador saw that intruder last week – and that it happened at just exactly the time he was in his office? Almost like he was _supposed_ to see it. And nothing strange has happened since then…"

Lee frowned. "You're right. I wonder if they're keeping things from us…it wouldn't be the first time security staff wanted to handle things on their own – even resented Agency assistance. Maybe we should go down there and take another look around."

They pulled up to 4247 Maplewood and Lee rounded the car to help Amanda out. She handed him his keys as she exited the vehicle and walked up to the house.

"Mother! Fellas!" Amanda called as she entered. "It's awfully quiet in here," she said to Lee as he shut the door. "Where is everyone?"

"I guess Joe didn't bring the boys back yet," Lee replied. "Maybe Dotty's still sleeping."

Amanda ran upstairs to check. When she re-emerged, she had a perplexed look on her face. "It doesn't look like she even made it home last night," she said a little worriedly. "Her bed is made, and the dress she was wearing isn't anywhere in her room."

Lee grinned mischievously. "Maybe her night was as good as yours was."

"Lee!" Amanda blushed. "That's my _mother!_"

* * *

"If we can just get rid of the Ambassador, my cousin will be a shoo-in to replace him," the heavily accented voice drifted through the door to the Embassy's small sitting-room. Amanda pressed her ear closer to the space between the door and its frame, hoping to hear more.

"Well, hello, Mrs. King!" When Amanda whirled to face the voice, Njau Bomo, the Embassy's head of security stared back at her, pointing a gun. "How lovely to see you again!" He reached past her to open the door and waved at her to precede him. "Karil!" he greeted the short African inside. "We have company. It seems our friends at the Agency haven't left as completely as we thought." Bomo nodded at the two guards loitering just inside the room. "Take our guest downstairs. Then, conduct a search of the grounds. Make sure there are no others."

Amanda struggled against her captors all the way down the stairs. "Put her in with the other one," the taller man said gruffly as they dragged her into the basement of the Embassy.

The steel door at the bottom of the steps clicked open to reveal a blonde woman tied to a chair, hand and foot. Amanda could barely stifle the exclamation that threatened to escape her lips. _Mother?_

"Oh, Amanda, I'm so glad you're here. Well, no, actually, I'm not…but it's so good to see a friendly face, you know? Oh, Amanda, I am really scared! Do you remember Dr. Zernoff? Do you know, I haven't been this scared since then! Really, I…"

Amanda tuned out her mother's rambling as the burly men pushed her into a chair sitting back-to-back with Dotty's and cuffed her hands behind her back. Roughly, they tied her ankles to the chair legs before looking sternly at the women. "I suggest you keep quiet, unless you want to watch someone you love die."

Dotty gasped loudly; Amanda merely stared. Her mind, though, was moving a mile a minute. Did they know what her relationship to Dotty was? Or were they merely making vague threats?

When the men had left, Amanda quickly fiddled her hands around to reach the half-rake that had long since been hidden in the beautiful silver bracelet Lee had given her last year – specially designed to hold the useful tool. Noticing the looseness of the cuffs, and of the knots around her legs, she snorted in disgust. "Amateurs," she muttered.

"What was that, dear?" Dotty asked.

"Oh, nothing, Mother," Amanda replied, inserting the rake into the lock on her cuffs, carefully so that she didn't drop it on the floor. "But you'd better keep it down; you heard what they said."

Dotty sighed. "Oh my gosh, Amanda – you have no idea how scared I am right now. I mean, most people have no idea what it's like to be tied up and trapped in some little room, and now I've had it happen to me twice! Really, what are the odds of that happening? I mean, I've never had good luck, but this is ridiculous."

"Mother, please," Amanda cautioned. "You really need to be quiet."

"Oh, what difference does it make?" the older woman said in exasperation. "Those men are going to do whatever they're going to do, and there isn't a thing we can do about it! And heaven only knows where they took the Ambassador and his wife. Oh my gosh – maybe they're in on it!"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "No, Mother, they're not." Her eyes gleamed triumph as the second cuff clicked open, and she turned her attention to the bonds around her legs. "Mother, what are you doing down here, anyway?"

Dotty groaned. "I've been stuck in this little room since just before the ball ended last night. I was just looking for the powder room, I swore to them I just wanted to powder my nose…but after what I heard…They were talking about the Ambassador. That little African country, Dalin…they want the Ambassador to help them control the king. These men could control the entire country! It sounds just like a bad James Bond movie – maybe one with Roger Moore. I never did like him. Amanda, I have never been so sore, or so tired, or so scared in my life. I just want to get out of here…but I have a feeling I'm not going to want to get out of here the way _they've_ got it planned for me."

"Well, then it's a good thing you won't have to," Amanda replied as she stood, finally free from her bonds. "Hold still."

Dotty started when she felt Amanda working on the cuffs holding her to the chair. "Amanda? How did you get free? I saw that man put handcuffs on you!"

Amanda sighed. "Mother, we really don't have time to get into this right now." The first cuff clicked, and Amanda gently lifted her mother's wrist out of the metal circle. "Now, I need you to listen to me very carefully, and do exactly as I say. Can you do that?" _Click._

Dotty frowned as she pulled her other hand forward. "Amanda, can we talk about this? You really have been watching too many spy movies. Why on earth would you have a handcuff key with you?"

Amanda nearly laughed as she freed her mother's legs. "Oh, Mother! I don't have a handcuff key. That would be a little silly, wouldn't it?" _And terribly impractical, when it can only release one kind of lock._

"Well of course it would!" Dotty stood abruptly. "Which is why I'm wondering why on earth you'd have one!"

"Mother! I do not have a handcuff key!"

"Well then, how did you get out of the cuffs?"

Amanda pinched the bridge of her nose. They _really_ did not have time for this. She could hear footsteps approaching, accompanied by several shouts by one unfamiliar voice and one all-too-familiar one.

"Quick, Mother, sit back down! Pretend you're still tied," Amanda hissed urgently, bending to rearrange the leg ropes so they looked as though they remained fastened.

"Amanda, really, what do you think you're doing?"

"Quiet!"

The footsteps and angry voices got louder. There were sounds of a struggle; Amanda suspected their captors had another hostage. Quickly she positioned herself behind the door, so that she wouldn't be seen when it swung open.

Bracing herself for action, she waited for the door to open. When it did, though, Dotty's gasp momentarily distracted her.

"Lee?"

_Oh, wonderful. Well, at least we're all together now – we have a much better chance of getting out of this._ As soon as Lee was in view past the door, with his captor still just behind him, Amanda used all her weight to slam the door forwards into the assailant. Stunned, the man stumbled, and before Lee had a chance to figure out what was going on, Amanda had stepped around the open door and retrieved the man's gun.

"Amanda!" Lee exclaimed, seeing her. "Great, let's get out of here. Will you help me out of these cuffs?"

Amanda cleared her throat loudly, nodding her head in her mother's direction. When Lee saw what she was drawing to his attention, he groaned. "Dotty? What on earth are you doing in here?"

Dotty sighed dramatically. "I'd love to know. But how did _you_ get here?"

"Can we get through the pleasantries later?" Amanda asked. "I could use a little help here." She was trying to drag the now-unconscious man fully into the room.

"Oh, right." Lee's hands, fortunately, were cuffed in the front, so he was easily able to grasp the man's arm to drag him forward. While Amanda secured the man with the cuffs and ropes that had held her and Dotty, Lee quickly pulled his half-rake from his collar stay and made short work of his own cuffs.

When he'd finished, Amanda handed him the gun. "I really don't want this."

He chuckled. "Come on, let's get out of here." As he cautiously led the two women out of the room, he murmured softly to Amanda, "I suppose there's no point asking how your mother got dragged into all this?"

"I wish I knew," she said wryly.

Carefully, they tiptoed their way through the labyrinth that was the Embassy basement. It must have been an older building, for there appeared to be a great deal of space for food storage – before the invention of refrigeration, food would be stored in the cellar to keep cool. A large manor house, like this would have been, would have had extremely large quantities of food on hand.

They heard footsteps headed their way. Amanda quickly opened the nearest door wordlessly, all but pushing her mother inside and following silently. Lee tucked himself in the doorway, waiting for the person to get close enough for him to put out of commission.

One quick blow to the head later, the man was flat on his back and concealed inside the room, and the trio were on their way again. But their luck was not to hold.

"The prisoners have escaped!" "Search the building! Leave no room unchecked!"

Lee swore under his breath. Amanda hurried to the corner of the hall and opened another door. "Come on – in here!" They quickly made their way into the room and locked the door.

"So, now that we're cornered in here," Lee asked Amanda sarcastically, "now what?"

She frowned. "Well, it's better than standing out there waiting to be found. At least in here we can surprise them."

Dotty gaped. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"At this point, you probably know just as much as we do," Lee said quietly. "They caught me snooping around the library; I was looking for some, uh, documents for the Ambassador." He gave Amanda a significant look.

She nodded. "And I was…on my way to speak with the kitchen staff – about how wonderful the meal was yesterday – " she lied, "when I…overheard two men talking about something. I guess they heard me, too, because they came charging out and dragged me down here."

Dotty frowned. "What on earth do they want with us?"

"Probably to get us out of the way," Lee replied. "Now that we've heard their plans – or parts of them, anyway – we're a liability."

Dotty went white. "A liability? You mean they're going to – to – "

"Mother, hush!" Amanda hissed, a curious look on her face. The room they were in was only a little larger than a bedroom, with several benches strewn throughout. One small wooden bedframe sat in the far corner, long since stripped of its mattress and sheets. Amanda, however, was not looking at any of these things.

"Lee, come take a look at this!"

His wife was staring intently at a wall. He frowned in exasperation. "Amanda, what on earth – "

"Look!" She pointed excitedly to some faint markings on the wall. They appeared to have been carved sloppily with whatever had been available – a stray nail, a pocket-knife, anything with a bit of an edge. Amanda's slender fingers slid gently across the wall. Scattered across the section of the wall were numerous X's, a few names scrawled into the wood, and a picture of the Big Dipper, with the North Star enlarged prominently.

"Okay…so whoever lived here liked to write on the wall." Lee was really getting annoyed now. "Amanda, look, we really don't have time for this."

But she was grinning. "Mother, you remember that report Jamie had to do on the Underground Railroad? How certain families would build secret rooms and tunnels in their homes to help conceal the slaves on their way to Canada?"

"Amanda, dear, I think Lee's right," Dotty chided. "This isn't the time."

But now Lee had caught on to Amanda's train of thought. "Are you saying…"

Her grin grew. "Most slaves never learned to read or write. Whenever they had to sign some kind of legal document, they'd just write an 'X.'" She pointed to the X's on the wall. "Obviously, a few of the slaves who came through here knew how to write – at least their names. And you know how they were always told to follow the North Star!"

Lee shook his head in amazement. "Actually, no, I didn't know that. But I assume you're going somewhere with this?"

Dotty's head shake was not one of amazement. "Lee, I can't believe you're listening to her! We have to hurry up and get out of here, or those men are going to…"

Lee put a gentle hand on his mother-in-law's shoulder. "Don't you worry, Dotty. I've known Amanda for too long now not to listen." He smiled proudly at his partner. "Amanda?"

She was making her way slowly along the wall. "Somewhere in this room should be a secret door of some kind – hiding a room, or, if we're lucky, a tunnel. We can either hide until those men are gone, or get out of here entirely." She was gazing erratically around the room, at the walls, at the floor.

Lee had a sudden thought. "Amanda – the bed!"

"Here, Scarecrow? With my mother in the room?"

He grimaced at her teasing grin. "Very funny." But he quickly crossed the room and began to inspect the wooden frame. It was a very simple structure, really – a short headboard and footboard, and a box-like construction in the middle. Lee began to feel his way along the wooden panels, and eventually, something gave with a slight creak.

Amanda's eyes widened as she moved to help her husband. Lee was pulling upward on one of the side panels. The entire top of the bed, the platform where the mattress would have sat, seemed to be hinged at the far end. When they had lifted it, a rickety-looking staircase descended from a large square hole in the floor.

"Mother! Unlock that door. If they find it locked, they'll know we were in here, and they might be able to figure out how we got out." Wordlessly, Dotty complied before following her daughter down the rabbit-hole.

For her part, Dotty was in shock. She had been dragged, tied up, and left in a tiny dark room by men who likely wanted to kill her; then, her daughter and her boyfriend had shown up out of nowhere in similar circumstances, only to escape without blinking an eye. They'd wandered a maze of a basement for nearly half an hour, only to be chased again and forced to hide in a little room, which turned out to have been used to hide slaves in the 1800s. Now, they were hidden under the floor of said little room, and had gotten there via a secret doorway in the bed!

Lee and Amanda seemed perfectly at ease with the situation. "It looks like we're in luck!" Lee said. "The passage keeps going. Come on!"

They made their way cautiously through the stone tunnels, their feet softly echoing in the silent chambers. Dotty couldn't keep her mouth shut any more.

"Alright, you two, that's it," she said angrily. "Who were those men, why are they after us, and what on _earth_ is going on? And Amanda, what did you call Lee back there? What is 'Scarecrow'?"

The partners exchanged rueful glances. "It's just a nickname, Dotty," Lee said softly.

Dotty frowned. "Okay. And? Those men?"

Amanda sighed in frustration. "Mother, I wish we knew more, really I do! But we really did tell you all we know about them."

"Right." If they hadn't been picking their way across uneven ground, she would have crossed her arms huffily. "You two are awfully comfortable for two people who have just been taken hostage and forced to escape."

"Mother, it's just like when you and Dr. Zernoff were captured. I think I just watch too many spy movies."

_Zernoff?_ Lee looked at his wife sharply. "Why? What happened?

Amanda rolled her eyes. _Didn't he read my report? _"We tried to escape. It almost worked, too."

"Oh, right. I remember now."

"You know," Amanda told Lee, "that was a pretty scary time."

"I know," he said softly. "But it's been worse…remember New Utopia?"

She grinned. "How could I forget? You _almost_ kissed me."

"_I_ almost kissed _you_? I think _you_ almost kissed _me._"

She looked sideways at him. "Not exactly." They both laughed.

Lee suddenly turned serious. "Stemwinder."

"Yeah." They both paused a few moments to remember. They'd had nowhere to go; evading a D-1 manhunt, with no Agency connections, no friends, no place to stay. It was most likely one of the tightest spots he'd ever been in – and he'd been in some real trouble before.

"Remember Birol?"

"Unfortunately." Amanda shuddered.

Lee wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Hey – it wasn't _all_ bad. I recall you saying something about us being the luckiest two people in the world?"

"Yeah – I still think so." Amanda smiled softly up at her husband.

"Then I don't think we have anything to worry about this time," he replied encouragingly.

She sighed. "You never know, in this crazy business we're in."

"California." The word was past his lips before he could stop it.

Amanda stopped short, turning Lee to face her. All but forgotten, Dotty was observing the interaction between her daughter and the man she was seeing with immense curiosity.

"Lee! Listen to me," Amanda said insistently. "That wasn't your fault. There was no way you could've known – and it just as easily could have been a car accident or a mugging gone wrong that landed me in the hospital. Things happen _every day_, Lee, and there isn't anything we can do about it except…well, except what we already do."

"I know." He nodded sadly. "But I can't help thinking about it sometimes. If we hadn't gotten mar– "

Amanda stopped him with a finger to his lips. "No regrets, remember?"

Lee took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright, then, come on. Let's focus on getting us out of here."

Their hands linked together as they walked, almost of their own volition. Lee dropped a kiss to his wife's hair. "I love you."

Amanda squeezed his hand. "I love you too."

Dotty frowned. Those two seemed to have an awfully solid relationship – more so than Amanda had ever had with Joe. She and Lee had a way of shutting out the world, keeping out everything but the two of them. Having seen their interaction today, it was obvious they were good for each other. Perfect, even. And they clearly loved each other.

So why in Heaven's name hadn't they gotten married yet?

"Look!" Lee suddenly said. "Daylight!"

The three fairly ran to the tunnel's exit. They found themselves on a rocky embankment, with water rushing along a hundred yards ahead. Amanda frowned. "Do you have any idea where we are?" she asked Lee.

He shook his head. "Not really…" He glanced around at the steep, rocky hills surrounding the river. "But we should get out of here." He turned back to grasp Dotty's hand, helping her across the rocky terrain. He was a little shocked when he caught sight of the tunnel they had just left.

It was only a small opening in the rock, but the vines and bushes growing along the riverbanks made it nearly invisible. The only reason he could see it was that he knew it was there.

"Good camouflage," Amanda noted.

"Yeah…bit of a security risk for the Embassy, though, if it ever gets discovered." Lee glanced at the lengthening shadows on the ground. "Come on, we don't want to be stuck out here after dark."

Amanda grinned and leaned over to whisper in her husband's ear. "At least we're not chained together this time!"

Slowly, they made their way to the flat fields above the river. Dotty needed some help ascending the bank – the high-heeled shoes she'd borrowed from Amanda were not exactly conducive to rock-climbing – but they made it into the main park area just before twilight set in.

"Lee, didn't we meet T.P. out here once?" Amanda whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Amanda. I think this is Rock Creek Park!"

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good, we know where we are. And it's not that far to Georgetown, we can just run to the office and – " Her eyes widened. She glanced uneasily at her mother. "Mother, would you try to find a pay phone? We're gonna need to call a cab."

The disheveled woman sighed. "Of course, dear. But don't you think we should call the police?"

Amanda's brow furrowed. "Will you please just call the cab? We'll try to figure out who we should call."

"Alright, alright!"

When Dotty had gone, Amanda turned to Lee urgently. "What are we going to do?"

Lee shrugged. There was nothing for it. "We have to tell Billy what's going on," he said in a low voice. "And your mother will need to be debriefed."

"But she knows we work for IFF! If we take her there, and she gets debriefed there…" An idea began to form. "Wait just a minute. MOTHER!" she called, rushing off in the direction Dotty had gone. Lee sighed and followed.

"Never mind the cab, Mother," Amanda said when she caught up with the older woman. "I know what we can do. I'll call the people in charge of security at the Embassy. They brought in a bunch of government agents to keep an eye on things during the fundraiser…I think I can remember the number."

"Government agents?" Dotty snorted. "Fine job they did. If there were all these government agents around, how on earth did we get kidnapped?"

Amanda and Lee exchanged wry glances. "Never mind that, Mother, let's just make that call."

When they found the phone, Amanda looked at Lee significantly, pointing at her mother and then making talking movements with her hand. Lee nodded and drew Dotty a few yards away from the phone. "Have you ever seen this flower garden over here? It's got some lovely…"

Amanda gave a sigh of relief and dialed the familiar number.

"International Federal Film."

"This is Amanda King. The word is 'Cockamamie.' Would you connect me to Mr. Melrose, please? We have a Condition Charlie."

"One moment please."

_Click._

"Amanda? What is it?"

"Oh, sir, I'm glad you're there. There's a problem at the Embassy. It's crawling with paramilitaries. Lee and I were both taken hostage – and my _mother_ was there, I have no idea why – but anyway, we made it out, Sir, and we're safe for now. But we need to give you an update, and Mother needs to be debriefed, but we can't just bring her to the office because she knows Lee and I work with IFF. And we have no transportation, Sir."

"Whoa, hold on, Amanda. Slow down! Let's start from the beginning."

Amanda sighed. "Mr. Melrose, sir, my mother is just around the corner, and I don't know how much longer Lee can keep her distracted. Would you please just send someone for us, and we'll explain everything when we get to the Agency?"

"Alright, Amanda. Where are you?"

* * *

Things are finally starting to happen...but to what end? Who has invaded the Embassy, and why? Will our favourite Agents be able to find out in time?

And...what about Amanda's mother?

All this and more in Chapter 7!


	7. Chapter 7

Yes, this is what it looks like - a double update! Two chapters for the price of one, ladies and gentlemen. We're nearing the home stretch now - stay tuned!

And for the immense interest some of you have shown in Joe's behaviour (I've had quite a few discussions with people regarding Joe's relationship with Amanda, past and present) I'll be posting a little vignette I wrote about Joe's return to the EAO offices in DC. Not my most polished work, but it provides some background for some of Joe's assumptions during his argument with Amanda earlier in this fic.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

* * *

Amanda breathed a great sigh of relief as the Agency car pulled into the blind entrance to the Agency. Coming in the back way, there were no signs identifying IFF or any other organization. The car stopped in a multi-level parking garage, and the agent who had been driving fortunately understood the need for pretending not to know Scarecrow or Amanda.

"This way, please," he said politely, and led them through a door, down several flights of stairs, along a corridor, through a hidden door, and down another flight of stairs. They emerged in one of the Agency's sub-levels, near the interrogation rooms.

One of the guards greeted them politely. "They're waiting for you. Mrs. West, if you'll follow me, please?"

Dotty reluctantly allowed herself to be escorted into a familiar-looking room. Relieved, Lee and Amanda made their way to the elevator to meet Billy in his office.

"Listen, Billy, I don't know what's going on up there, but they were crawling all over that place." Lee ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Now, we have to find the Talhis, and figure out what those people want with them!

Amanda, on the other hand, was slowly pacing back and forth in the small space between the chairs and the wall, lost in thought. "The men in that room – they were saying something, just before Bomo found me. It sounded like they wanted the Ambassador to be replaced by their cousin, or something like that."

Lee frowned. "Bomo? You mean the head of security has been in on the plot this whole time?"

"I don't know," Amanda shrugged. "But the way he talked to those other men, he's up to his neck. Maybe even coordinating the whole thing." A thought struck her. "Does he know that Mother is…well…my mother?"

Billy groaned and rubbed his hand over his eyes. "How on earth did your mother get involved in this?"

"I don't know, sir, it just happened. Just like always," Amanda replied wryly. "My family showed up at the penny carnival earlier this week – I had no idea they were going to be there, but Joe heard about it from work – and apparently Mr. Bomo invited Mother to the ball. She never came home."

"This isn't getting us anywhere, Billy," Lee interjected. "We need to figure out what's going on, and what they've done with the Ambassador. A simple assassination wouldn't guarantee that the cousin of these men would get the position; how are they planning to make that happen?" He rubbed his chin in thought.

Amanda's eyes widened. "How are the appointments decided in Dalin? If the Ambassador were to name a successor before his death…"

Lee snapped his fingers. "That's it!" He turned to Billy. "If Bomo and his cronies could somehow get the Ambassador to write a letter recommending this man as his successor – especially since King Aran values Talhi's opinions so highly…"

"But how would they do it?" the Section Chief asked skeptically. "If Talhi knows he is going to die anyway, why would he comply with their wishes?"

"His wife," Amanda breathed softly. "They're going to use his wife."

Lee swiveled his head to meet her gaze. "Do you really think that's going to work? They'll probably kill her right along with her husband after he writes that letter."

She looked up at him, nothing but sincerity in her face. "Don't tell me you wouldn't do everything you could…if there was even a chance…"

Lee nodded slowly, his posture slumped. "You know I would." He reached out a hand to gently touch her arm.

Billy eyed them in interest. He'd known there was something going on between his two best agents. Something significant. But usually, he wasn't privy to such honest interaction between them – they did a remarkable job of keeping things professional in the workplace. There was clearly a strong bond between them – and only God could help anyone who threatened it.

Recalling Billy's presence in the room, Lee finally broke their gaze and dropped his arm, breaking the intimate moment. "We've got to get back there," he said briskly, "and hope they haven't already moved Mr. and Mrs. Talhi. They must already know we've escaped, and that we'll be back with reinforcements."

"Do it," Billy commanded. "I'll send out the teams immediately – you just focus on finding them. I'll have Francine look for any possible base of operations for these guys, in case they have already moved."

Lee turned to leave, but Amanda was looking apprehensively at their boss. "Mr. Melrose, sir…"

"What is it, Amanda?" he asked gently.

She grimaced. "Well, you know my mother was locked up in that room with us. And, of course we had to get ourselves out of there – but she's going to have an awful lot of questions when I finally see her again, and I have no idea how I'm going to explain all this. Not after all those other times we've gotten her out of trouble."

"What are you getting at, Amanda?"

Amanda sighed. "Well, sir, I guess what I'm saying is that I think I should tell her about the Agency."

Billy paused to think it over. "Will she be able to keep this knowledge from everyone she knows? I know how she likes to talk…"

Lee laughed aloud, and Amanda shot him a glare. "What?" he asked defensively. "She does. But I honestly think we're better off with her knowing the truth than coming up with wild speculations. Who knows what she'd come up with?"

Amanda made a face. "Yeah. She's already convinced I'm having an affair…" Billy hid a grin at the glance the partners shared. "And that I'm awfully accident-prone. Next thing I know, she's going to think I'm some kind of terrorist or something, and have me arrested from my own house."

Neither Lee nor Billy could completely stifle their amusement at the image of Dotty calling the police when Amanda snuck back into her house late one night.

"It's not funny," she said stubbornly.

Lee raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, maybe it is a little funny," Amanda admitted. "But I really do think I need to tell her. It would be much easier to get them to a safe house when we need to. And to explain why I'm always late for dinner."

Billy nodded. "Alright, Amanda, you have clearance to tell Mrs. West about the Agency. I know you know enough to keep it to the basics – no classified information. But just make sure she's aware of how important it is that she doesn't tell a soul."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," Amanda replied, a relieved smile brightening her face.

One secret was about to be let out of the bag.

* * *

Amanda sat reclined comfortably on Lee's couch Sunday afternoon, a thick file opened on her lap. Her husband occupied the other end of the sofa, poring over a stack of documents. They could both think of things they would rather do than work, but at least they were together.

There had been no one left at the Embassy save a few kitchen and cleaning staff when they'd returned yesterday evening, and no other potential location had yet been uncovered. So, Lee and Amanda were spending their weekend researching all Embassy staff and any building or business in the DC area that had anything to do with Dalin.

A knock on the door interrupted their efforts. Lee sighed and went to answer. Amanda, for her part, barely glanced up. The voices at the door were too muffled for her to hear – and she'd just found something very interesting in the file she was studying.

"Lee?" She stood and carried Karil Jain's background check to the door, her eyes never once leaving the paragraph she'd read. "You need to see this."

When she finally glanced up, she was dismayed to see an unfortunately familiar face on the other side of the door.

"Miss Lamont! What a surprise," Amanda said with only a hint of sarcasm.

Lee grimaced. "I was just asking our friend here how she got this address," he said coldly.

Barbara blinked innocently. "Well, Lee darling, you gave it to me last week! You said something about…wanting to get to know me better." She smiled up at him flirtatiously.

"Nice try," Amanda said dryly before Lee could even react. She looked up at her husband grimly. "I'll deal with this."

Barbara stood defiantly as Amanda stepped out of the apartment, taking the shorter woman's arm and all but forcibly escorting her to the elevator. Barbara began to squirm under the stony silence. When the women had entered the car and it began to descend, Amanda reached out and pressed the emergency stop button. Barbara's eyes widened.

Amanda King leaned casually against the wall. The cool look on the woman's face was beginning to make Barbara a little nervous.

"Do you realize that harassing an agent is grounds for termination?" Amanda asked calmly.

Barbara was taken aback. "Harassing? I'm not – "

"Lee Stetson is my partner," Amanda interrupted, "and as such, my life very often depends on him being focused and alert in the field. You are nothing more than an annoying distraction. From the little Lee has told me," she continued, "he has made it quite clear to you that he's not interested in what you're…offering." Amanda's brown eyes slid up and down Barbara's body dismissively, even scornfully. "Any further pursuit on your part is considered harassment."

"You can't prove anything," Barbara glared. How dare this woman treat her like dirt? How dare she tell Barbara Lamont what not to do?

"Prove?" Amanda raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't need to prove anything. I've been at the Agency long enough to know exactly how much I can get away with."

In that instant, two things occurred to Barbara. The first was that this woman was not exactly acting like a jealous lover. The second – housewife or not, Amanda King was scary!

The elevator doors slid open and Amanda took the redhead by the arm and nearly dragged her out of the building. "Goodbye, Miss Lamont. For your sake, I really hope we don't see each other again."

Inwardly, Amanda smiled at the dumbfounded look on Barbara's face as the doorman greeted her cheerfully. "Hello, Mrs. King. How are you and Mr. Stetson today?"

Amanda returned his friendly smile. "Oh, we're just fine, Frank – work's pretty busy this week, though, we've had to bring it out of the office." She glanced over at Barbara. "Could I request that this young lady not be permitted into the building? She's been causing a bit of a disturbance."

Frank Orwell gave a disapproving frown to the shorter woman. "Sure thing, Mrs. King. I'll pass the word along."

"Thanks so much, Frank. I'd better get back up there – Lee hates to do paperwork alone." She smiled warmly before returning to the elevator.

"What happened?" Lee asked the moment she re-entered the apartment.

Amanda grinned. "I put the fear of Mom into her."

Lee laughed aloud. "You do have a way of scolding that makes a person feel about ten years old," he replied wryly. "What did you want to show me before?"

"Oh!" Amanda started as she remembered the important tidbit she'd found in Karil's file. Quickly, she found the discarded document and opened it again. "Look at this. Karil has a twin brother who moved to the States about ten years ago. He got involved in a paramilitary gang in New York, and has been working his way up through the ranks. He's currently one of the head members of the DC branch. They're mostly pretty small-time, but I bet you anything if Bomo offered them enough money, they'd have helped him out in an instant."

"You're probably right." Lee frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Did you see this part? This gang operates out of a big farmhouse up near Gaithersburg."

Amanda grew excited. "That's got to be it!" she exclaimed. "We'd better call Mr. Melrose."

* * *

A few hours later, the assault team had been assembled and was ready to strike. Vans and cars sat parked far enough down the road to avoid drawing the attention of the farmhouse's occupants. Members of the Agency TAC team had assembled in a large crowd around the communications van.

"Okay, everyone," Lee Stetson was saying, "this is going to be a silent op. We don't want them to know we're coming until we've already got the handcuffs on them. This group is considered paramilitary, so expect heavy resistance. We suspect at least two hostages, a man and a woman of African heritage. All efforts must be made to keep them alive. Understood?"

The TAC team split up into its smaller units and took positions at each entrance to the farmhouse, with Lee and Amanda leading four others through the north door. Once all teams were in place, Francine's voice crackled over the earpieces. "Execute! Execute!"

A flurry of movement began, so quietly any spectators might think they were watching a movie with the sound turned off. Whispers echoed through the microphones: "East One clear." "West Three clear." "Bravo team moving to second floor now."

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from somewhere in the cellar. Lee immediately waved his team over to the descending staircase, and when he paused to listen at the door, Amanda had to stop short to avoid bumping into him. Behind her, however, Terry Fines didn't manage to stop _himself_ in time.

"Sorry, Mrs. King," he said softly.

She smiled kindly at the young man before returning her attention to the silent staircase.

Slowly, they crept down into the basement, weapons at the ready. They checked several empty rooms before a sudden blast of gunfire exploded all around them. Returning fire, the unit slowly advanced to the room at the far end of the hall with no injuries.

Gunfire erupted again. A bullet whizzed by and slammed into the wall just by Amanda's left ear. Shaken, she ducked quickly into an open doorway.

Fines hadn't been so lucky. He'd been hit just above the knee. Abandoning her cover, Amanda crouched and stepped into the hallway to help him into the empty room, where he would be out of the line of fire for the time being.

By the time she'd finished, the rest of the team had the far room covered. Four men stood in various stances of defiance and surrender at various points in the room, and Amanda could see Mr. and Mrs. Talhi chained to a rusty pipe in the corner.

Lee, having seen her enter the room, nodded at the man he had his gun trained on. "Amanda, will you cuff this guy?"

Quickly, she complied.

"Where's Fines?" he asked abruptly.

"Took one in the leg. He'll be fine; he's out of the firing line for now."

Suddenly, Njau Bomo, who stood in the furthest corner of the room, dashed for a small door in the wall. Several of the agents fired, but the man had disappeared through the door too quickly.

"Anders, come with me to catch that guy," Lee said authoritatively. "Amanda…"

She nodded, already knowing what he wanted her and the others to do. "Just go," she told him. Quickly, she radioed the other teams to inform them of the escapee before instructing the other agents in the room with her to cuff their suspects. Once all the men had been secured, Amanda rushed to the couple in the corner.

"Are you two alright?" she asked in concern, immediately setting to work on their restraints.

"Oh, Mrs. King, thank goodness you are here," the Ambassador said gratefully. "Those men – they wanted me to write a letter to King Aran – they were going to kill Chay…" He glanced fearfully at the bullet hole in the wall only a foot above his wife's head.

"Hush, now, it's alright," Amanda soothed. "You're safe now. Let me just get you out of here…"

Soon both the Talhis were free. Gingerly, they stood and embraced before breaking apart to massage their sore limbs.

Amanda, having heard no word from anyone else over the radios, spoke into her mike. "This is Charlie team in the cellar. We have recovered our two lost coins. Three vipers to be caged. Requesting backup, over."

"Charlie, this is Bravo team. Second floor is clear; we're on our way."

"Mother Hen," Amanda addressed the communications centre, "we have a bird in the nest. It's a small one, but be on standby. Over." _There,_ she thought. Now there would be a medical team ready to treat Fines' wound.

"That's confirmed, Charlie," Francine's voice said.

"Mother Hen! This is Scarecrow. Get a unit in the air, three on the ground. Runner heading east in a black Jeep. Repeat, one runner heading east. I can't follow on foot, over."

Amanda ignored her earpiece as Francine made the necessary commands to the vehicles. Her heart sank at the news. Bomo was getting away.

* * *

"Mrs. King! Mr. Stetson!" Chay Talhi greeted warmly as they entered the Embassy a few days later. "I want to thank you again for all you've done for us."

Amanda waved off the hand Mrs. Talhi had extended, instead moving in for a hug. "I'm just glad you and your husband are okay."

"Thanks to you," Chay replied. "I'm still worried about Njau. He is not a pleasant man to cross – I fear I have only just begun to realize how much."

"You don't need to worry about that any longer, Mrs. Talhi," Lee replied. "His Jeep was found in a ditch about ten miles from the farmhouse – someone called it in to the state troopers, and it turns out he'd simply lost consciousness. Apparently he was shot twice trying to escape. He's in our custody now."

"Oh, good!" Chay said happily. "Now Ibin and I can focus on our plans to rehabilitate the country. Did I tell you? That nice Joe King is going to arrange with the Emergency Aid Organization to send supplies and aid workers to Dalin!"

"That's wonderful!" Amanda said brightly. "I know you'll be in good hands with the EAO." _Now, if only he'd pay so much attention to his own family,_ she thought a little bitterly.

Lee caught the flash of anger that flitted over his wife's face and quickly changed the subject. "I think you should know something about your Embassy," he said mysteriously.

The African woman's face displayed confusion. "More surprises?"

"This one is quite interesting, actually," Lee replied. "Your security staff will need to do something about it, but I think you will appreciate the story. You see, there's a hidden tunnel…"

* * *

So, Scarecrow and Mrs. King have saved the day once again! But they still have one more challenge to face, and one more 'enemy' to strike down. How will the final scene play out? Will we have a comedy, or a tragedy?

Stay tuned for the final chapter of Family Bonds!


	8. Chapter 8

So here it is, finally - the last chapter! I'm a little sad to see it go, but it's been a wonderful ride. Thanks so much to everyone who read, and especially to those who reviewed - feedback really is what makes me want to keep writing on the bad days.

Hope everyone enjoys this last little glimpse of SMK!

P.S. For the few who asked, the website for the Wicky archive is www (dot) wickyarchive (dot) net

* * *

"Miss Lamont? I need to see you, please," the tall blonde said a little too politely.

Barbara glanced up from her typing. "Sure, just let me finish."

"_Now,_ Miss Lamont." Francine's voice was cold.

"Alright, I'm coming," Barbara grumbled, grabbing her purse and following the agent down the hall. "Where are we going?"

"Just downstairs." Francine smiled. "We've got a little something for you to do. Mr. Melrose asked specifically for you." Barbara felt a surge of pride. She'd known they would eventually have to recognize her superior skills.

They rode the elevator one level deeper into the earth, and entered a small white room with one table, two chairs, and a big mirror along one wall. "What are we doing _here?_" Barbara complained.

Francine pointed to one of the chairs. Barbara sat.

The blonde perched a hip on one corner of the table. "I understand you've been making a nuisance of yourself where Lee Stetson is concerned."

A sudden look of indignation was pasted on her face. "That Amanda King is just out to make trouble for me!" she whined. "What did she tell you?"

"Oh, please," Francine rolled her eyes. "Amanda didn't have to say a word. I can tell what you're up to from miles away. You're not exactly discreet." The blonde agent stood and sauntered slowly around the room. "I know what you're doing, Barbara, and it isn't going to work. Did you really think the Scarecrow is that easily fooled?"

"You make it sound like I'm trying to trick him into something he doesn't want," Barbara muttered resentfully.

"And you think you have a clue what Lee wants?" Francine asked incredulously. She placed her hands on the table and leaned down menacingly, pinning Barbara with her gaze. "Let me tell you something, witch. You don't know the first thing about Lee Stetson, but I can guarantee you it's not you he wants." Her voice was low and still, but full of venom. "You will never be what he wants. You are, in fact, the very last thing Lee Stetson needs complicating his life right now. So I suggest you _back_ the _hell off_, before something very unfortunate and untraceable happens to you."

The wheels began to turn. "It's you!" she accused.

Francine's face was full of disdain. "Excuse me?"

Barbara nodded in satisfaction. "All this time, I've thought it was that Amanda person who was keeping Lee off the market. But it's been you all along!"

"Oh, please," Francine scoffed. "Lee and I were over years ago. But he is still a very good friend of mine, and I care about him a great deal. So I suggest you never speak to him again if you want to keep your tongue."

Barbara's eyes widened.

"That's right, Miss Lamont. You may have been able to pull these kinds of stunts over at the FBI, but you are terribly outmatched here. Amanda King and I – well, we both care very much about Lee Stetson, and while he won't hurt a woman who isn't an enemy agent, Amanda and I have no such qualms. And we are both very, _very_ good at our jobs. You'd best consider that next time you have the urge to weave one of your webs. Be warned, I can spot them from half a continent away. Don't think you can pull a fast one on me – I've used every trick in the book, even invented some you've never heard of. And never will.

"Some of us do this for a living, you know – you're just an amateur. So I suggest you watch yourself if you ever feel the need to snare another one of our agents. We all know how to dispose of a body."

With that, Francine turned and strode calmly out of the room, leaving a dumbfounded Barbara Lamont sitting very still on her chair. From behind the one-way glass to Interrogation Room C, Lee and Amanda were stifling giggles.

"She wouldn't actually…would she?" Amanda asked between laughs.

"Nah," Lee said nonchalantly. "Francine's like a cat. She has too much fun playing with her prey – if it's dead, it's no fun anymore." He grinned at the appalled expression on his wife's face. "Don't worry, she won't do anything more drastic than getting the woman fired, if need be."

Amanda grimaced. "Oh, I really hope that woman needs to be fired."

Lee chuckled. "Now what happened to all that kindness and compassion that I love so much?"

"It flew out the door the minute that barracuda tried to steal my husband from under my nose," she replied dryly.

Francine opened the door to the observation room. "Enjoy the show?" she preened.

Lee grinned. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Thanks, Francine," Amanda said. "I think she'll get the message by now, don't you?"

Francine smiled wickedly. "I almost hope she doesn't. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Lee laughed aloud. "Thanks, Francine. You're one in a million, you know that?" Still chuckling, he took Amanda by the hand and led the trio out of Interrogation.

As they passed the guards posted by the door, Francine paused. "Hold the subject in C for about an hour; then she's free to go."

Lee bent his head to whisper to his wife. "Remind me not to get on Francine's bad side."

* * *

The bullpen was full of its usual bustling activity. Barbara Lamont was again sitting with Fred Fielder at his desk, compiling dossiers. Lee and Amanda entered from the hall, chatting amiably on their way to Billy Melrose's office, greeting their fellow agents as they passed.

Barbara averted her eyes and kept her face turned down to the files on the desk. Never before had she had to hide from a man. This was completely humiliating. She had been bested – insulted, threatened, and rebuked – by two women, neither of whom was even involved with the man in question! Not as far as she could tell, anyway. Barbara flushed angrily. She would get the better of them somehow. She would vow endless revenge on Scarecrow, Amanda King, and Francine Desmond.

Just as soon as she could figure out how to get away with it.

Meanwhile, she only hoped she could avoid –

"Oh, hel_lo_, Barbi!" Amanda King's voice said much too cheerfully, as if greeting an old friend.

Barbara grimaced. She _hated_ that nickname. "Hello, Mrs. King," she replied coldly.

"It's so good to see you again," Amanda continued, "but we can't stay and chat. We've got a meeting with Mr. Melrose. I know we'll see each other around, though!"

Barbara glared up at the pair as they shared an amused smile and turned to cross the bullpen.

Seeing Lee's hand resting comfortably on Amanda's back, and Amanda leaning in to him as they walked…

An idea began to form.

_Barbara Lamont, you are _brilliant_!_

* * *

"Mother?" Amanda said a little nervously. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it, darling?"

She took a deep breath. "Why don't we go sit down on the couch?" Amanda said briskly, knowing she was only stalling for time.

Dotty put down the recipe cards she was sorting and moved toward the living room. "You look awfully worried, dear. Now what's bothering you?"

When they were settled at opposite ends of the couch, Amanda gave a sigh. "I really don't know where to start, Mother."

Dotty took her daughter's hand comfortingly. "I always say it's best to start at the beginning."

"That's the problem," Amanda replied softly, avoiding her mother's gaze. "I don't really know where the beginning is. There's so much I have to tell you…"

"Why so serious?" Dotty laughed. "You're making me nervous, dear!"

"Well, I _am_ nervous," Amanda replied bluntly. "There's so much you don't know. And I don't even know how to begin to explain it. Some of the things I've been doing, some of the decisions I've made…oh, Mother, if only you knew!"

Dotty frowned. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you only did what you thought best."

Amanda nodded slowly. "Yes," she whispered. "But I'm afraid you're going to be terribly hurt by all the secrets I've kept."

"Secrets, dear? What secrets? You have been awfully vague lately, but I've gotten used to it."

"Well," Amanda laughed, "I'm still going to have to give you vague answers. But maybe…" She searched her mind for a place to start. "Remember last week, when I was at the Dalinese Embassy, helping out with the fundraiser?"

Dotty nodded.

"Well, I wasn't there for the fundraiser, exactly. I mean, I wasn't asked to help out because of my experience with charity events. I was there…to help with security."

"Security!" Dotty exclaimed. "You mean like that awful Mr. Bomo?"

"No, Mother!" Amanda replied quickly. "You see, Bomo was in charge of Embassy security, year-round. But for an event like a fundraiser or a ball, embassies bring in extra security teams from the government. I was…well…Lee and I were coordinating security for the fundraisers."

"Right," Dotty said skeptically. "IFF works for the government, and the government has secrets. What were you really doing there, Amanda?"

Amanda was frustrated. "That _is_ why we were there, Mother!"

Dotty frowned disapprovingly. "Why on earth would they get a couple of filmmakers to be in charge of some government security team? Really, Amanda, these stories of yours just keep getting wilder and wilder…"

Amanda looked straight at her mother solemnly, her voice low and serious. "Lee and I aren't filmmakers."

"So you don't really work for IFF? You've just been having an affair all along, and you've been lying to me about being in the editing room all night?"

The outrage in her mother's voice made Amanda cringe. "Mother – please," she pleaded. "Will you just let me explain?"

Wordlessly, Dotty shut her mouth and crossed her arms protectively over her chest.

"I'm sorry about all the lies, Mother, but there really is a good reason for it. You see, I wasn't allowed to tell you. Not until now. My boss has just given me clearance to let you in on the basics – but I can't tell you everything. I'll never be able to tell you everything."

"Everything about what, dear?" her mother asked tightly.

Amanda took a deep breath. "Lee and I do work for IFF – in a way. But IFF isn't just a film company; it's actually a front for a covert government organization called the Agency. There is a small department that makes the occasional film, to keep IFF legitimate. But the rest of the Agency works in intelligence. Lee and I – well, we're intelligence operatives."

"Intelligence operatives?" Dotty's tone was deceptively flat.

"Yes, Mother," Amanda replied, frustrated at how much trouble she was having getting through to her mother. "Do you remember a few years ago, when I put you and the boys on a train to Vermont? Do you remember what I told you?"

Dotty scoffed. "What, you mean that ridiculous story about a nuclear bomb? And you were the only one with the information…" A look of horror crossed the older woman's face. "You mean…that wasn't some outrageous tale you'd concocted?"

Amanda shook her head miserably. "No, Mother…everything I told you that morning was true. It's still classified, so I can't tell you anything more about it…"

Dotty's eyes narrowed. "What about that time you were on the run with Lee? Was that just a – an operation, too?"

"No." Amanda's voice was flat. "That was…they thought…" She inhaled sharply. "Lee was framed, by an old enemy. The Agency thought he'd been selling secrets to the Russians."

"Oh my gosh," Dotty breathed. "So they arrested him?"

Amanda laughed. "They sure tried."

"You mean you really were on the run from your own government? And got away?"

Amanda nodded slowly. "We managed to clear our names and catch the man responsible. It's a good thing Mr. Melrose took a chance and trusted Lee."

"Mr. Melrose?" Dotty's face went dark. "What does he have to do with – "

"He's really a very nice man," Amanda interrupted quickly. "He's a very good friend to both of us. He was only doing his job, Mother. I really think you'd like him, if you gave him a chance."

Dotty snorted. "I'm sure."

"He did help us out when Harry was in trouble," Amanda reminded her.

"Yes…" Dotty paused a moment, remembering. Her eyes suddenly fixed a glare on Amanda. "You set me up! Pretending to forget Mr. Melrose's name…"

"Yes, Mother," Amanda replied guiltily. "I'm sorry – but we couldn't let you know that we knew him. We also couldn't let you get the police involved. They would've botched the whole thing."

Dotty shook her head. "I don't believe this. I just don't believe this. My daughter, the spy. I don't even _want_ to know how many times our family has been in danger. What about the boys? Have they ever been threatened? Oh my gosh, what if they'd been hurt? Amanda, how could you do this? What if your job…"

"Hush, mother. It wasn't my job that put the boys in danger. It was Joe's."

"But Joe's just a lawyer! Don't tell me _he's_ a spy, too… Oh my gosh."

Amanda shook her head. "No, mother, Joe isn't a spy – an _agent,_" she corrected. "But remember when he came back to the States? The man behind the embezzlement Joe discovered came to the boys' school and held them at gunpoint. If it hadn't been for Lee…"

"Oh my."

Amanda took a breath to dispel the fear that particular memory brought. "The Agency takes care of its own, Mother. I can't count the number of times a team has been placed on our street to keep watch over us, just in case." She tried to look reassuring. "Don't worry, Mother – we're very careful to make sure the family stays safe."

"Amanda…" Dotty's voice sounded small and lost. "This is too much. This is just too much. Saturday at the Embassy – do you really know how to pick handcuffs? Does a belt actually work?" she asked, referring to Amanda's comment about the James Bond movie they'd all watched together last week.

Amanda laughed aloud. Memories of Lee's horrified face, all those years ago, when she'd told him to '_Take off your belt!'_, surfaced. "Actually, Lee's belt buckle served us quite well once," she replied in amusement.

"I'm sure it did," her mother replied dryly. "What about…" A sudden look of horror crossed her face. "You were shot! Amanda, you were shot on that so-called vacation you took to California, and you couldn't even tell me then?" she accused. "Lee wouldn't even tell your own mother why you were shot?"

"No, Mother," Amanda said shakily. "California… No, Mother. I've never been shot in the line of duty," she whispered. "California…really was a vacation. Of all the times I've been in danger because of my job, most of the times I've really gotten in trouble have been when I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time, and nothing to do with work."

"But Lee Stetson was there," Dotty charged. "Were you two really on vacation together?"

"Yes, Mother," she replied miserably. "I just – I…"

"Why couldn't you just tell me you were going on vacation with Lee?"

Amanda shook her head. "It was…supposed to be a secret. It still is. Mother, can I – can we please discuss the rest another time? I want Lee to be here. There are some things…that both of us need to tell you."

"Things like what?" Dotty asked suspiciously.

"Oh, Mother! You have no idea how hard it's been for me to keep things from you all these years. I need you to know everything. There will still be secrets – a lot of what we do is classified – but no more lies. I can't lie to you anymore, Mother. That's been the hardest part of all this – not being able to tell you anything. You don't know how many times I've wanted to forget national security and tell everything."

A compassionate look crossed Dotty's face at Amanda's earnest pleas. "How long, Amanda?" she asked gently.

A soft smile graced Amanda's features. "Do you remember the day I drove Dean to the train station?"

Dotty laughed aloud. "That long ago? No wonder you lost interest in Dean so quickly, if Lee Stetson was in the picture!"

Amanda grimaced. "Lee wasn't exactly in the picture at the time, Mother. He wanted nothing to do with me – and, to tell the truth, I didn't think much of him, either."

Dotty looked shocked. "Why ever not? I've said it before, Amanda, on a scale of one to ten, that man is an eleven."

"He was also an arrogant know-it-all who treated me like a tagalong mutt he couldn't get rid of," Amanda replied dryly. "If it wasn't for Mr. Melrose seeing our potential as a team…well, I'd probably be married to Dean and working at Honeycutt Typewriters, bored out of my skin."

Her mother laughed heartily. "Yes, I imagine your life is a bit more exciting now."

"I'll say," Amanda agreed. "Remember our trip to Munich? That night I never came back to the hotel?"

Dotty nodded.

"Agency business. And Mrs. Farnsworth, that time we painted the kitchen grey?"

"That nice Mrs. Farnsworth is an agent?"

Amanda grinned. "Lady Emily Farnsworth works for MI-6."

"_Lady _Farnsworth? Oh, my."

"And all those fumigations of our house, the movie premieres, the editing room…"

Dotty shook her head in disbelief. "And here I thought you were having some kind of clandestine affair with your boss."

Amanda grinned. "Well…there is _some_ truth to that. Although Lee's actually my partner, not my boss. He's just the senior agent."

"I knew it! I knew you'd been seeing him for longer than you admitted," Dotty crowed.

"Mother, you have no idea how close to the truth you were – or how far. But I'm not saying another word about that until we talk about this with Lee."

"Alright, dear. But you have to tell me – how on earth did you get drawn into all this…international intrigue?"

A nostalgic smile crossed Amanda's face as she recalled the tale of what had happened at the train station, all the way to the conclusion of the case. "You remember Mrs. Welch's cooking show?"

"Well, yes – wasn't she arrested for spying, or something? Are you telling me that was you?"

"I can't tell you the details, but that was the first case I solved. Not to mention, the first time I saved Lee's life."

"Wow," her mother breathed. Then, her eyes widened. "Speaking of television, missy," she began accusingly, "you remember that author we saw on the morning show?"

Amanda's face fell. She'd been hoping her mother wouldn't remember that.

"Civilian spies? Mother of two in Arlington?" Dotty pressed. "That wasn't Gwen Dorsey, was it?"

"No, Mother, it wasn't Gwen Dorsey," Amanda said contritely. "It was a good thing we managed to stop the publication of that book. A lot of people's lives would have been irreversibly damaged."

"I'll say. What else haven't you told me?"

"Oh, Mother – there's so much I'll probably never be able to tell you. By the time it's declassified, the boys will have grandchildren. I wish I could tell you everything – but you have to understand that I won't be able to explain things. You'll have to trust me, alright?"

Dotty nodded seriously. "Of course I understand, dear."

"And you can't tell anyone – not even a hint of what I do. To the rest of the world, Lee and I still have to be filmmakers. Boring job, unpredictable hours. Can you do that?"

"I'll have to."

"That's right, you will," Amanda said gently. "And it's hard – I know, I've been doing it for nearly five years now."

Overwhelmed, Dotty shook her head. "It seems so dangerous…"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But most of it is boring research and paperwork and stakeouts and questioning people and gathering information. It isn't like James Bond, Mother. He's no spy. He's like an international Maverick; he goes around the world, having wild adventures and catching the bad guys. There's no paperwork, no all-night stakeouts, no tedious undercover operations…it's all one grand adventure after another. Explosions, car chases…horse chases!…women…" She grinned mischievously. "Lee told me I should be glad I don't have Bond for a partner. I can't even imagine the amount of paperwork that man would incur, with the mess he always leaves behind."

"Well, I'm certainly glad you don't have James Bond for a partner," Dotty said wholeheartedly. "That man is a menace!"

Recalling the resemblance between her partner and the fictional 007, Amanda giggled to herself.

_But he always gets the job done._

* * *

Well, that's it! For this 'episode,' anyway. But Lee and Amanda have yet to reveal the truth about their jobs to the boys...or the truth about their marriage to anyone. How will they jump that hurdle? What will their next case throw at them? And...I'm certain we haven't yet seen the last of Barbara Lamont. What wrenches will she throw in the works?

Thanks for sticking with me, everyone! I hope you've enjoyed this little foray into the world of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. The next installment - if I ever manage to work out the kinks in the case - promises to be just as interesting.

Happy reading, everyone!


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